Burnin' For You
by PailyMcvie
Summary: Emily is back for the summer and needs a job. Luckily her best friend Hanna hooks her up at the hottest restaurant in town. Can Emily keep her cool around Dontana's sizzling hot head chef?
1. Chapter 1

" _One of these nights...one of these crazy old nights..._ okay swordfish, softshell crabs...check, check... _ooo in between the dark and the light,"_ Paige sang, swaying her hips to the music as she ran through her mental checklist aloud. Not breaking stride, she lay out her knives, and one at a time, ran them along her sharpening stone.

"Roasted carrot bisque; carrots, dill, brown sugar, garlic…" she continued, reciting her recipe to the beat of the music, tuning out the world as she always did to get in the zone for the Friday lunch rush.

Fridays at Dontana's were the reason Paige had gone to culinary school in the first place. She loved the chaos; the hustle bustle of her kitchen staff, the rush of completing perfect plate after perfect plate, cranking them out of the kitchen like a machine. She loved the noise, too. The searing sound of a beef tenderloin hitting a scalding hot pan, the rushed pitter-patter of a knife tearing through a bunch of parsley. The yelling, the cursing, and then inevitably, the celebratory calm that fell over the kitchen as lunch rush ended, and Paige had time for a quick breather out on the loading dock, usually blowing off steam with push ups while the rest of her staff chain smoked their menthol cigarettes and bitched about their,snobby, know-it-all customers, before it was time to jump back in the trenches and tend to the dinner crowd. It was frantic, rushed insanity...and Paige was hopelessly addicted.

" _Ooo...comin right behind you, swear I'm gonna find you one of these nights…"_ she wailed.

"Mmm...promise?" a sultry voice entered behind her, causing Paige to jump as the intruder's arms wrapped around her waist from behind.

"Jesus, babe. I told you a million times not to sneak up on me when I'm sharpening my knives," Paige exhaled, sliding her knives to the side and switching off the radio before turning in the girl's arms.

"I tried calling your name from the door. It's not my fault you keep the music so damn loud. Then you start shaking your stuff and I just can't help myself," the girl grinned, sneaking a quick kiss from the chef as she rolled her eyes.

Kelsey was the restaurant's longest tenured waitress, an attractive blonde with a foul mouth and cocky attitude who had taken a liking to Paige immediately. She was drawn to the chef's calm demeanor under such intense pressure; a skill she definitely lacked herself. Paige seemed to find confidence in the background; to exist among everyone else's cockiness and drama, and let her food do the talking. It was such a turn on to her, to see someone with such power and talent also possess an almost valiant humility. She had seen a lot of chefs come through the Dontana's kitchen, all of whom ruled with an iron fist and let the job take its toll on them until they burned out. Paige was somehow the opposite; dancing while she prepped and embracing the chaos with a smile on her face, putting a little piece of her heart and soul on every plate. It was incredibly sexy, and had her completely smitten after only a few days of working in a Paige McCullers kitchen.

"You snuck out again this morning," she continued with a pout, playing with the buttons on Paige's chef coat.

"Big day, babe. We're booked solid, Chrissy's gonna be here today, pissing and moaning and getting in my damn way, and I've got that new waitress starting. I wanted to get here early and go over my menu," Paige explained, rolling her eyes at the thought of her boss.

"New waitress?" she winced.

"Yes...Hanna's friend, Emily something or other. I need you with her today,"

"What? Come on babe don't stick me with the new girl…let Hanna watch her. I can help you back here," the girl whined.

"Hanna's hosting, I need her there. I don't need you back here, I need you with the new girl so I don't have to babysit. Please, Kels. Everyone needs to be at their best today, and nobody knows my kitchen like you. I'll make it up to you, I promise," Paige pleaded, rolling the sleeves up meticulously on her jacket.

"Fine. I'm holding you to that, though," she grumbled, stealing another kiss.

"I'm a woman of my word. Can you go make sure everything is good out front? I need to start my soup, and you are a distraction," Paige smiled, pulling a green, folded bandanna out of her coat pocket and tying it around her head securely.

"Yes, Chef," the girl winked, planting a firm smack on Paige's backside before exiting the kitchen.

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"So this is where you put the orders in. Have you ever seen one of these before?" Kelsey brought Emily to the bussing station as they got ready for their shift. Emily tilted her head to the side in contemplation, watching the girl tap buttons on the touch screen quickly.

"Uh...nope, I usually just would write orders down on my pad, and bring it back to the kitchen," Emily chuckled nervously.

"Ah, old school. Where did you work before this?"

Emily couldn't help but pick up a little cockiness in the girl's voice, feeling almost like she didn't believe she was good enough, classy enough to work in such a nice restaurant. Emily wondered briefly if that could be the case. She was used to being an underdog though, growing up as the only one of her group of friends to not come from money, fighting her tail off to get scholarships to the University of North Carolina, and having to work for everything she had. After a successful first year as a business and finance major she had come home to Philadelphia for summer break. Low on cash and looking to save up for her next semester's books, she had pleaded with everyone she knew in town for a summer job. Luckily her best friend Hanna, a hostess at Dontana's since graduation, who could sweet talk with the best of them tugged at Paige's heartstrings and got her an interview with the owner. Now, here she was on her first day, being talked to like every bit the poor, modest college student she felt. Hoping she was just paranoid, and definitely not wanting to make waves on her first day, she chalked the girl's saltiness up to maybe not being thrilled about having to train a new waitress on a busy Friday, and smiled back.

"A coffee shop when I was in high school...and a pizza place near campus at college," she explained.

"Okay well, we do it a little different here. You enter the orders on the screen here, pretty self explanatory, and the tickets print for Paige back in the kitchen. Paige is the head chef,"

"Yeah, we spoke on the phone," Emily nodded in understanding.

"She hired you over the phone?" Kelsey asked, somewhat surprised.

"Oh...no, not really. I came in and had an interview with Christina, the owner. But after she hired me she told me to deal with Paige from here on out. Said she's out of town a lot," Emily shrugged as they made their way across the dining room.

"Yeah that's an understatement. She's pretty much a figurehead, owns 12 restaurants on the east coast and spends about 1 day a month at each one. The rest of the time she...I don't know, swings by down in hell to check on Satan, make sure he's doing things to her liking…" she shrugged.

"Yikes...I take it she's tough to work for," Emily surmised, slightly amused now by Kelsey's all around cranky demeanor.

"She's literally the worst. But you'll see! Paige tells me she'll be visiting us today. Let's check out the kitchen," she suggested, pushing the swinging door open and allowing Emily inside.

"Uh…" Emily froze, watching Paige tending to a pan of sauteed onions at the stove, a little awestruck at the eye candy that was Dontana's head chef. She was a tall drink of water, and Emily pondered briefly how much she resembled one of the love struck cartoons, with thumping hearts popping out of her eye sockets and jaw hitting the floor like an anvil, she had seen countless times as a child. She wasn't sure the last time she had found someone so attractive, mostly concentrating on her studies and trying to make some money to keep her going through the semester. The girls at UNC never seemed to catch her eye, a fact that bothered her at first, until she made the decision to allow herself a year to settle in before actively trying to date. It was lonely, sure, but at the moment she couldn't help but be thankful to be single, nothing back in North Carolina tying her down on the off chance that this magnificent creature initiated a spontaneous make out session in the dry goods storage closet.

"Hi, uh...Emily right?" Paige greeted, wiping a hand on her jacket before extending it for a handshake.

"Yeah...hi, I'm Emily," she replied, accepting the handshake nervously, snapping out of her fantasy, hoping the heat rising to her cheeks wasn't visible.

"Hi Emily. I'm Paige, we spoke on the phone. You getting settled in okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, sure. Definitely, settling in. Yes," she rambled.

"So that's Paige, and back there are all the sou chefs, you'll get to know them too. This counter here is where you pick up orders, and all the way in the back is where you bring the dishes. Easy enough?" Kelsey questioned. Emily glanced around quickly, her eyes falling back to Paige, who had turned her attention back to the stove.

"Yeah. Yeah, makes sense," Emily agreed with a smile, watching the way the chef's perfectly sculpted forearms flexed as she shimmied the pan back and forth over the flame.

"Well great, how about you go help Hanna out front for a while? We don't open for another half hour or so," Kelsey suggested.

"Uh, sure...if that's okay with you Paige?" she replied.

"Go for it. I'll be out in a bit to go over the specials," she smiled back, flipping her pan of onions a few times.

"Cool. I...uh...bye," Emily squawked out, exiting the kitchen hastily, sighing deeply when she was out of Paige's sight.

"Hey buddy!" Hanna yelled from across the dining room. Emily smiled and made her way over, grabbing a stack of napkins and helping Hanna fold.

"So how come you didn't tell me Paige was so…"

"Hot right? I thought about it, I mean the girl is totally your type but...I knew if I gave you a heads up you'd act like a total dork, and besides...she's dating Kelsey,"

"Oh. Really?" Emily replied, a little shocked at how disappointed she was. She had just met the girl, after all.

"Yeah, like for a year now. Keep it on the DL though, cause if Chrissy finds out she'll probably fire Kelsey... by the way, I know she can be bitchy but she's cool once you get to know her. She'll totally get your back if a customer gives you shit, and she buys all us underage-rs beer,"

"I...okay…"

"Chill, Em. If you're that into a summer fling we'll find you someone. It's Friday. The whole gang goes out, gets some drinks, it's fun," Hanna explained.

"Does Paige go?" she asked, arching an eyebrow hopefully, excited at the prospect of seeing Paige outside of work. Even though she knew she'd be dreaming of Paige and that chef jacket all day, she couldn't help but wonder what was underneath it, too.

"Yes, dork, Paige goes. With Kelsey, her girlfriend I just mentioned?" Hanna rolled her eyes, although amused at Emily's inability to handle her attraction, after only a few minutes.

"Alright, alright. Got it, she's taken," Emily laughed, raising her hands in defeat.

As if on cue, Paige came barreling through the swinging kitchen doors, Kelsey hot on her heels. She shot Emily a quick smile as she stood at attention in the back of the dining room, and the waitstaff, bartenders and other staff gathered around, waiting to hear her speak. Emily was in awe, the respect Paige seemed to command just simply walking into a room was one of the sexiest things she'd ever seen.

"Han?" Emily whispered.

"What?" she bit back in a harsher whisper, trying to convey to Emily that now was quiet time. Now was Paige's time.

"Alright everybody listen up! You know the drill, it's Friday so let's do what we do okay? Push the soup, alright? Push it hard, it is my absolute best and I don't want a drop leftover. It's a crowd pleaser and we aim to please, am I right?"

"Yes Chef!" the staff yelled in unison, startling Emily a bit. Paige set into a pace, gliding back and forth in front of her staff, a pride and excitement shining from her piercing green eyes as she spoke. Emily was entranced.

"We're going with the swordfish today, as the main special. It's beautiful, it's fresh as hell and I will be searing it to perfection with a balsamic brown butter sauce. Push it, it is gold. We also have our softshell crabs today, I picked them up myself from down at the docks this morning. They will be lightly fried and served in a hand-pressed blue corn tortilla with a chili-lime pico de gallo and queso fresco. We also have our stand bys, the tenderloin, duck confit, portobello ravioli and of course, our lemon chicken risotto. For dessert, as always, our triple chocolate raspberry tart or banana ice cream. Any questions?"

"No Chef!"

"Let's get to work people. Make me proud," she winked, before making her way back to the kitchen among the rousing applause of the staff.

"I'm in trouble, Han," Emily mumbled, still staring at the kitchen door Paige had just crashed through.

"Pull it together, Em. You're a mess," Hanna demanded, heading off to her station.

"Let's go, new girl. We're on in 10," Kelsey grabbed her by the arm, dragging her to the bus station to grab aprons for their shift. Emily tried to shake thoughts of Paige from her mind as she was manhandled and forced to shadow her girlfriend around on her first day.

"Kels, can you open up the front door for me? Chrissy will be pissed if it's still locked when she gets here," Paige hollered from the kitchen door, again meeting Emily's eyes and flashing her a grin... _that grin_... and Emily knew all she needed to know in that moment.

"I'm screwed…" she sighed to herself, following quickly behind Kelsey, knowing in certainty that grin, those eyes, those forearms...may very well be the death of her this summer.

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 **First off, I will say obviously, I own nothing. Credits for the song Paige is singing in the beginning go to the greatest band of all time, the Eagles. (RIP Glenn Frey, one of my heroes)**

 **Title is a wonderful Blue Oyster Cult song.**

 **I've been out of the fan fiction game for a few years, so be gentle. That being said, I appreciate any comments, questions or critiques you may have. I'm just a Paily fan in withdrawal (self diagnosed) ever since Lindsey left the show. I started PLL for Shay, stayed for Lindsey and have been hopelessly reading so many great Paily fics here while nursing my broken Paily heart (self diagnosed) on the sideline and finally decided to give it a shot myself.**

 **Thanks for reading, and I appreciate your reviews in advance :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Paige sat in peaceful contemplation in her office as the dinner shift wound down, reviewing her tickets for the day, analyzing trends, where she saw strengths and weaknesses, where she could tweak her menu and just overall letting herself unwind from the chaos.

"From the bar for you, my love…" Kelsey entered, placing a drink in front of her before sliding into her lap and nuzzling into her neck.

"Thanks babe...uh...how are we looking out there?" Paige asked, squirming under the girl's touch as she took a sip of her scotch and soda.

"Only a few tables left, they're squatters but they're very happy. Your swordfish was a hit, baby," she explained between kisses along Paige's neck and collarbone.

"Mmm…" was her only response, allowing herself a moment of weakness, leaning back and closing her eyes, enjoying the attention on her aching muscles. It was all she could do not to drift off.

"How did Emily do?" she asked, throwing back the rest of her drink in two large gulps.

"Shh. I'm trying to get you in the mood. And while I've come to terms with the fact that complimenting your food is the closest we get to dirty talk, that doesn't mean I'm going to critique the new girl while we get it on," she husked, causing Paige to chuckle.

"Sorry. She just seemed nervous. I wanted to make sure you took care of her," she replied, wrapping her arms around the girl and pulling her in for a kiss. Kelsey shifted in Paige's lap as the kiss got more heated, straddling her and sliding her hands into Paige's unbuttoned chef's coat and under her tank top, raking her nails along the toned muscles she found there.

"Right now I'm worried about taking care of you," she whispered, breaking the kiss but continuing letting her hands explore under Paige's shirt. Paige smiled back at her, her eyelids already heavy, the alcohol hitting her empty stomach immediately.

"Not here, babe. Chrissy's still sniffing around some place and besides...I desperately need to shower," she explained, kissing her one more time before moving to stand up.

"Don't think you're getting out of it tonight, McCullers," she warned, hopping out of Paige's lap so she could move. "You snuck out of my bed before I could have my way with you this morning, robbed me of shower sex, and forced me to eat a poptart for breakfast. I am dating the best chef in Philadelphia, I shouldn't have to eat a poptart! You owe me. Sex and French toast. But I'll settle for just sex," she ranted, only somewhat teasingly.

Paige smiled and nodded as she shed her jacket and tossed it onto her chair. If she were really honest with herself, she'd love nothing more than to go home and crash, maybe order in a little take out after a long day of cooking, pop in a movie and zone out. Her girlfriend, however, had other ideas. She always had other ideas. Paige had loved it, even craved it at first. There was a time when they had first gotten together that Paige had loved the partying. There was a time when it was every night they'd hop from bar to bar until the early morning hours, collapsing into bed, a drunken heap of giggles and kisses, making love until the sun came up and getting just enough sleep to make it through another shift and do it again. Lately though, she just didn't have the energy.

"You okay baby?" her thoughts were interrupted as Kelsey followed her to where she had continued cleaning the cooktop.

"I'm perfect. Just...hungry and tired. Where are we headed tonight?" she asked, smiling at her as she scraped the flat top grill with the back of her spatula.

"Actually nowhere special. A few of us thought bowling might be a nice change of pace. What do you say? Taylor Swift and laser lights? Pizza and cheap beer?" she tempted, knowing full well that was more Paige's scene than a crowded night club.

"That...sounds awesome actually. Not too late though, okay? I really do need to get some sleep," she agreed.

"You say the word, and I will take you right home to bed," she smiled, leaning over the cooktop for another kiss, "but I think you should blow off some steam tonight. Just relax and have fun. Don't be thinking about this place, or tomorrow's menu, or what you're going to pick up at the farmer's market. Just drink and eat and dance and bowl, okay?" she suggested.

"I can do that. Bowling really does sound nice for once. I think I feel a 200 point game pulsating through these fingers," she smirked, wiggling the fingers on her free hand for emphasis.

"Really now? Mmm, maybe we shouldn't waste it on bowling," Kelsey purred, pulling Paige's extended hand to her lips, kissing each knuckle in turn.

"Easy," Paige laughed, though allowing the kissing to continue as she worked, "You're the one that wants to go out. I promise I'll make it worth the wait okay? I promise," she said sincerely, willing herself to get a second wind, have a fun night with her friends and hopefully end it having some overdue passionate sex with her girlfriend.

"Alright, alright. I can wait a few more hours. I'll go check out front and then you mind if I punch out and run home to shower?" she asked, gathering her bag and keys before she even got an answer.

"Yeah go ahead. I'll finish up out there. I want to see how Emily's doing and make sure she knows she's invited tonight anyhow," Paige explained.

"Sounds good. Text me when you're showered and ready, I'll pick you up. I'm driving tonight so you can relax," she smiled, wrapping her arms around Paige once more, stealing a kiss for the road.

"Thank you,"

"You're welcome. Don't doddle okay? And don't fall asleep. I love you," she mumbled against Paige's lips, trying to will herself to leave the comfort of the chef's arms.

"Love you too. Be careful,"

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"How's it going out here guys?" Paige asked as she strode out into the dining room while the girls worked on placing chairs atop the tables. The sight of her bare arms, free from the confines of her chef's coat, nearly gave Emily an aneurysm. She wasn't sure if sexy collarbones were a thing, but they definitely were in her world now.

"We're good, Paige. Almost done here. I'll just have to run the vacuum quick and then we're off like a prom dress!" Hanna exclaimed.

"Great. Good job today Hanna. You really stepped up. Chrissy was impressed. I talked to her about throwing a little something extra in your paycheck and she was all for it," Paige smiled, patting her on the shoulder.

"Wow, thanks! I really need the money right now, you have no idea,"

"My pleasure. I take care of the people who work hard for me. Emily...how was your first day?" Paige asked, noticing Emily fidgeting with a table a few feet from them, smiling nervously.

"Oh...it was good, chef. I like it here, thank you again for the opportunity," Emily rambled.

"You can call me Paige, you know? Kitchen's closed, coat is off. No chef, just Paige," she smiled, finding Emily's nervous behavior quite endearing and refreshing.

"Right. Paige. Yeah, sorry," she laughed, vowing to smack herself once Paige left the room for not being able for just one second today to keep her cool.

"So uh, listen. I'm not sure if Hanna told you but we usually all go out Friday nights, blow off some steam. I guess it's bowling tonight so...I better see you there," she smiled.

"Uh...yes chef. I mean, yes Paige. I mean...yeah, yeah I'll be there," she sighed, running her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"Good. You look like you could use a drink," Paige laughed, turning toward the kitchen.

"I uh...I'm only 19," Emily announced. With her hand on the kitchen door, Paige turned with a smile.

"Kelsey will hook you up. I know nothing," she winked, "Han can you lock up for me? I need a shower," she pleaded.

"You betcha Paigey! See you at the bowling alley! By the way, I will be wiping the floor with you at air hockey!" Hanna taunted.

"You're on. See you guys soon," she chuckled before disappearing.

"Smooth. Moron," Hanna teased, unraveling the cord for the vacuum cleaner.

"Shut up! It's not my fault. She's so cute I wanna cry," Emily whined, head in her hands.

"Em you gotta find a way to be cool, alright? It's your first day, and I really like this job! Paige has always been real cool to me, gives me bonuses, lets me take off when I need to, lets me party with her, I don't want her being pissed at me cause the new girl turned out to be a spaz who couldn't handle her crush," Hanna lectured, turning on the vacuum before Emily could even respond.

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"Alright, Emily. What do you want your bowling name to be?" Kelsey asked, as she typed their names into the screen.

"Um...Emily?" she shrugged.

"No, no, no. See, we use silly names. See? Paige is Chef McHottie. Han is Hanna Banana, I'm Kel$ey, ya know, Ke$ha style...so...what'll it be?"

"For the record, Kelsey came up with all those names," Paige laughed, taking a long pull of her beer.

"Um...I...I don't know…" Emily stuttered.

"Fine, tonight...you are E-Money. Cause you made so many damn tips tonight you oughta be buyin all our beers!" Kelsey teased, not taking her eyes off the screen as she set up the rest of the game.

"That's great, Emily. Day one, and you're already keeping our customers happy. That's why I keep the pretty girls up front," Paige winked as she settled into a chair to change into her bowling shoes.

"Oh, I'm sure it had more to do with the food. They all loved it, it definitely had me starving all day," Emily smiled.

"You should've said something, I could've made you something for lunch,"

"No, it's fine. I'm fine. I just mean, your food looks amazing. That's why your customers were happy,"

"Well, thanks. How about you guys get started and I'll go back to the snack bar and order us a few pizzas? And a few more beers...what are you guys drinking?" Paige offered, finishing her drink off.

"Just get a pitcher babe. And one of those pizzas better have anchovies and garlic!" Kelsey replied, setting to work on tying her own shoes.

"Why do you think I'm ordering 2? By the way you're brushing your teeth at least twice before you get in any bed with me tonight," Paige shook her head with a chuckle.

"Whatever, babe. Let's see how hard you fight me getting in your bed after a few more beers," came her confident reply with an arch of her eyebrow. She was certainly no stranger to Paige's alcohol-induced libido.

"What do you guys like on your pizza?" Paige laughed, turning to Hanna and Emily.

"Anything's good with me Paigey! I don't mind anchovies or garlic," Hanna replied, trying to decide between the pink bowling ball that was just a little too heavy or a green one meant for children.

"Alright, you two weirdos share. Looks like it's me and you, E-Money. What'll it be?" she asked, and Emily nearly melted in her seat, hearing that nickname, that new, ridiculous nickname, come out of Paige's mouth. The effort Paige was putting forth to make sure Emily felt like part of their crew just made her even more attractive.

"Uh...whatever you want is fine. I usually stick to the basics. Pepperoni, veggies or grilled chicken. I work in a pizza shop back home. I mean, back at school. So I'm used to eating the leftovers at the end of the day. I think I've tried them all," Emily laughed with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Cool, grilled chicken sounds nice. You like hot sauce? They have a sriracha chicken pizza here that's pretty off the hook," Paige asked her.

"I love sriracha. I put it on, like everything," Emily smiled at their similar tastes.

"Great. I'll be right back," she winked, running off toward the snack bar, Emily taking the opportunity to check her out from behind, unconsciously licking her lips and arching an eyebrow at how good Paige made a simple pair of jeans and t-shirt look.

"Stop it," Hanna hissed almost instantly, not even having to see Emily's face to know what was going on.

"I wasn't...I...relax, I wasn't doing anything!" Emily stammered in a whisper shout as Kelsey approached the lane to bowl the first frame. Hanna glanced, ensuring she was focused and couldn't hear their conversation before she glared down at Emily in her chair.

"You were looking at Paige's ass! I know you're only window shopping Em, but you don't want to go anywhere near that window. Cause if Kelsey catches you she'll fucking smash it and cut you, okay? I'm serious. Girl don't mess around. A food critic kissed Paige on the cheek one time, and asked for her number. Kelsey slashed his fucking tires. Shut it down Em. Shut it down or Kelsey will burn your life to the ground," Hanna warned.

"Wooo! 8 pins, biatch! You're up Han, make it rain!" Kelsey shouted, making her way back to her seat in a celebratory shuffle.

"How about we make this interesting Kels? Whoever loses buys manis and pedis on Sunday? My tips are going to be shot to hell after this night," Hanna suggested as she picked up her ball, arching an eyebrow at her friend.

"Deal! Ooo, we'll get brunch at Daniella's, too," she swooned.

"Daniella's? That's like 45 bucks a person for brunch," Emily gasped. She had been there a few times with her parents, only on the most special of occasions.

"Not when you sleep in Paige McCullers' bed at night. You should come with us, E-money! I've pretty much got a hopper pass to the best restaurants in Philly," she bragged.

"Wow. You really hit the jackpot,"

"I know right?" she laughed, turning her attention to Hanna as she lined up and tossed the ball, almost immediately into the gutter.

"Damn it!' she cursed, staring at it as if she could will it back out onto the lane.

"Nice shot Marin! Can't wait for my free mani-pedi!" Kelsey teased, earning a playful flip of the bird from Hanna as she got ready to take her second turn.

"Are these two at it already?" Paige laughed as she returned, sliding in the seat right next to Emily with a pitcher of beer and four blue Solo cups.

"Uh...yeah. There's mani-pedis on the line," Emily chuckled back.

"Ah. They're very competitive. How long have you and Hanna been friends?" Paige asked, handing the first drink to Emily and pouring another.

"Oh, forever. We played on the same soccer team in like...4th grade, I think? Hanna hated it, but we got really close. We had a small group of friends all through middle and high school, but Hanna and I were always the closest," Emily explained.

"It must be tough going to college in different cities," Paige surmised, sipping her beer as she crossed her legs and perched her head on her free hand and waited for Emily to continue.

"Yeah. I mean...yeah it's tough. But we talk a lot. I thought of staying close for college but...at the same time I wanted to get away...get some new experiences. I really like North Carolina,"

"That's good. What are you studying?"

"Well, I just finished all my basics. Math, communications, literature...the things they made everyone take first semester. I'm technically a business major but haven't really taken many business credits yet," Emily explained.

"Business, that's cool. I hope to own a business one day. A restaurant, you know? Obviously. One of those places you see on TV, that like...grows their own fresh herbs in a garden out back...people come from all around the world to eat there...line around the block every day of the week," Paige explained with a gleam in her eye. Emily smiled as she listened...the passion Paige felt for cooking was a passion Emily had never known for anything in her life. It was intoxicating, and Emily never wanted their conversation to end.

"You don't like Dontana's?" Emily questioned.

"It's not that. It's fine for now. But I didn't become a chef to run someone else's kitchen you know? It pays the bills for now. But one day I'll have my own place. Maybe out of the city...who knows. It's a long way off though. What do you hope to do after school?" she asked.

"Babe, you're up! Han bit it big time, 1 pin!" Kelsey yelled doing a taunting dance in Hanna's face.

"To be continued," Paige whispered to Emily with a wink, tapping their cups together and setting hers down. She poured the other two cups full and brought them over to Hanna and Kelsey and taking her place at the ball rack. Hanna took a sip as she approached Emily, filling the seat Paige had vacated.

"You okay?" Hanna asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Emily smiled, watching as Paige bowled an almost perfect ball, 9 pins on her first try.

"Good. I'm glad you're home Em. We're gonna have a good summer,"

"Yeah. Yeah I think so too," she replied, almost drowned out by Kelsey's hollering as Paige picked up the spare. Emily couldn't help but smile at the adorable fist bump that followed as Paige headed back to her seat.

"You're up Em. Then I wanna finish our conversation," Paige smiled, fist bumping Emily for luck.

"Yeah. Me too," she smiled back before heading up to the ball rack.

"She's a class act, Han. I really like her," Paige told her.

"I knew you would, Paigey! Emily's the best. You guys will be besties by the end of the summer, you'll see," Hanna replied, taking a few sips of her beer.

"I think you're right," Paige smiled.

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Okay, just a few things...first of all thanks for the reviews/follows and general support right off the bat! Really means alot to me!

Paily is a hardcore fandom, as I've learned over the past few years and am learning even more now! Already people asking me how much they have to worry about Kelsey and if Paily is endgame. To them and anyone else wondering, I say this: Sit back and enjoy the ride. This is meant to heal my broken Paily heart, and hopefully some of yours as well. It will be a slow burn, but hopefully we have some laughs along the way.

I will update as regularly as I can, thanks again for reading and reviewing!


	3. Chapter 3

A few weeks into summer break, Emily was feeling completely refreshed. She had managed to catch up on the sleep deprived from her during finals, had made some new friends and was making money hand over fist. While she was barely making minimum wage on the books, Paige's customers tipped, and tipped well. It was nothing like the tips she made in a college town pizzeria. At this rate, she'd have enough cash for her first semester's books and even a little extra to play with after that.

Paige, just like Emily had anticipated, had quickly become the best part of her summer. She was a dreamboat, everything Emily had ever wanted and more. Emily was falling for her more every day, but after a few of their Friday night hangouts had figured how to maintain a friendship with the girl without acting like a total spaz every time she opened her mouth.

They had become quite close actually, texting each other all through the day and night, and even meeting up for coffee, just the two of them, on their days off. They had the same sense of humor, the same taste in movies and never seemed to run out of things to talk about. It was nearly perfect, Emily thought, the only thing standing in the way of her epic summer romance with Paige was Kelsey.

She couldn't even hate Kelsey, try as she might at first. She wanted desperately to find something despicable about the other girl, but the more time they spent together, the more she liked Kelsey as well. She was funny, spontaneous and had actually grown fiercely fond of Emily, too. The only thing Emily could fault her for was getting to Paige first.

"Em! Hey! You're early, what's up?" Paige hollered from the stove as she saw Emily enter the kitchen out of the corner of her eye. She looked like a dream, sunglasses pushed up on her head, white dress shirt hanging open over a light blue tank that left little to the imagination as she made her way over to Paige with two coffees. Sure, Paige was taken, but it didn't mean Emily couldn't show her what she was missing.

"I had to drop my mom off at the airport early...thought I'd bring you a coffee," she smiled, handing one over, taking a sip of her own.

"Thanks. She's going to visit your dad?" Paige asked as she too took a sip.

"Yup. For a few days and then he'll actually be coming back with her until after July 4th. He's coming home for their anniversary. I haven't seen him since I graduated, over a year ago. I can't wait," she explained excitedly.

"That's great. Do they have plans?"

"Uh...I don't really want to know," Emily laughed into her coffee.

"I mean for dinner, silly. Where do they usually go for their anniversary dinner?" Paige chuckled as Emily blushed.

"Oh...um, they don't usually go out. My mom cooks. His favorite dinner. Stuffed pork chops and roasted potatoes,"

"Yum. What does she stuff them with?" Paige inquired as she went back to chopping some celery.

"I have no clue," Emily laughed, "but they're good. She made it on their first date...and when she told him she was pregnant with me. Now with how much he's away, she makes it every time he comes home. Things aren't as bad now as they were when he was in Afghanistan, obviously. But my mom's cooking is what he misses most no matter where he is," Emily explained.

"I get that. Food is love, it's comfort, it's everything you know? At least that's how I feel. But hey, if they want to try something different, tell them to come here for dinner. On the house," Paige offered.

"What? Are you crazy? You don't even know them, Chrissy will kill you!" Emily exclaimed.

"Chrissy is in Venice, I could care less what she has to say. It's the least I could do for the parents of one of my best employees," she smiled.

"Wow...um...I'll ask my mom...she has been wanting to come try your food,"

"I'd love to meet them. I bet your mom's a classy lady," Paige mused, now rapidly chopping carrots.

"Why do you say that?" Emily questioned, unable to hold back her smile.

"Cause you're a classy lady...and somebody who cares enough to make her husband's favorite meal every time he comes home obviously knows what matters. Family. I like that," she elaborated.

"Yeah? That's pretty intuitive of you. What's your family like?" Emily asked, leaning against the counter, elated just to watch Paige work.

"Gah, where do I start?" she laughed, "I'm the youngest of 5. 4 big brothers," she explained, tossing all her chopped vegetables in a pan, "Do you have any siblings?"

"No, only child. Gosh, four brothers though? What's that like?" Emily gasped.

"Complete insanity. But also the greatest thing ever. I love my brothers more than anything," she replied.

"I can't even imagine. Your parents wanted 5 kids? Or did it just kind of happen that way?" Emily wondered.

"I guess both, in a weird way," Paige laughed, "they really wanted a girl, so they refused to throw in the towel until they got one. Mom says she would've had 10 more boys if she needed to, she was just destined to have one girl. So, viola', here I am!" she recalled with a smile.

"That's really cool. Do they live here in the city?"

"Nope, they've scattered. Florida, New York, Maryland...and my oldest brother lives about 2 hours from here, up in the Poconos. Even my parents moved out of the city a few years ago to New Jersey. It's just lonely old me back here in the city. But they all visit when they can. We Skype a lot. They'll all be at my 4th of July party though, with all my nieces and nephews...you're coming right? Hanna told me you're coming," she rambled.

"Yeah, of course I'm coming. Hanna hasn't shut up about the famous Paige McCullers 4th of July BBQ. How many nieces and nephews do you have?" she asked, entranced. She could listen to Paige talk forever.

"3 nieces and 2 nephews, soon to be 4 and 3. My brother Jordan and his wife are expecting twins,a boy and girl. They're the ones that live in New York," she announced proudly.

"Wow. You really are into family, huh Aunt Paige?" Emily chuckled.

"Don't make fun, I'm an awesome Aunt," she laughed back, pulling her phone out of her pocket and pulling up a picture of all her nieces and nephews, showing it to Emily.

"Aww. They're beautiful, all of them. They've all got your good looks," Emily crooned, handing her phone back.

"They're the best," she grinned, taking one last proud glance herself before shoving the phone away and returning to work.

"So how does your family like Kelsey?" Emily couldn't help but ask.

"They like her, for the most part I guess. She was a little outspoken for my mom's taste at first. But she came around. Kelsey's really good for me. Keeps me on my toes you know? Keeps me from losing my marbles, I guess. This line of work can drive people nuts," she explained.

"Yeah. You love it though. It shows," Emily smiled.

"Thanks. That means a lot to me,"

"So...where is Kelsey? She doesn't come in early with you?" Emily asked, finishing her coffee and tossing the cup into the trash.

"Hell no, she was still snoring like Big Foot after I got out of the shower. You know she's not a morning person," Paige laughed.

"That's true. Either am I, usually. Hence the coffee. That was my 3rd cup," she chuckled.

"How about some breakfast? I just gotta get this sauce on a low simmer and then how about I make us some waffles? I picked up some fresh berries at the farmer's market this morning. They're beautiful, you'll love them," Paige offered, gesturing to the packages on the far counter.

"Waffles sound great…" Emily smiled.

"Awesome...just uh, give me a few minutes okay? We'll eat out on the loading dock. It's nice out there in the morning,"

"Cool...can I do anything?" Emily offered.

"Sure, run out to the bar and get me a bottle of champagne, two glasses and some orange juice. Then just take a load off," she smiled as she got set to prepare her fruit.

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"Oh my God, these are delicious," Emily moaned, her mouth full of waffles, quickly cutting herself another bite.

"Glad you like," Paige chuckled in response, taking another bite of her own breakfast. She had set the table out on the loading dock perfectly, with a platter of fresh, steaming hot waffles, a bowl of the fresh berries and another full to the top with fluffy, homemade whipped cream. With them they enjoyed mimosas, a little on the weak side given they still had a full shift to work. Emily was in heaven.

"I mean it, these are the best waffles I've ever eaten in my entire life. Kelsey's really missing out. If I was your girlfriend I'd be out of bed at the crack of dawn for breakfast every damn day," Emily replied, almost immediately regretting it. Her jaw froze mid-chew and she looked up at Paige slowly, who was looking back at her as she sipped her drink, seemingly unphased.

"I uh...I'm sorry, I didn't mean...that was rude," Emily stuttered, taking a large gulp of her own drink.

"How so? You're totally right. She whines that I never make her breakfast, but if I try to wake her up before noon she tries to break my fingers off," Paige laughed.

As if on cue, Kelsey's car came clattering into the parking lot, windows down and music thumping, as she throttled over to the loading dock and parked next to Paige's Jeep. Without bothering to roll up the windows she parked and killed the engine, she all but rolled out of the driver's seat, clad in wrinkled camisole, flip flops and pajama pants that Emily suspected belonged to Paige. Her black hair was wet and tied sloppily atop her head, a backpack slung over her shoulder and an iced coffee in hand as she shuffled her way toward the loading dock.

"You used all the hot water, butthole," she grumbled, making her way up the short flight of concrete stairs, "Oh, okay. Leave me with no hot water and old ass coffee, but come make gourmet Belgian waffles for E-money. Nice," she whined when she caught a glimpse of the spread in front of them, sliding in next to Paige and kissing her anyway.

"I told you my hot water has been acting up. If you recall I suggested we stay at your place last night," Paige reminded her, piling waffles and fruit onto her now empty plate and sliding it over.

"And if you recall, I've told you a million times to move out of that dump and in with me. Em, tell her to stop dragging her feet," Kelsey whined, picking up a waffle and eating it like a cookie.

"Oh...uh, I...I'm sure she has her reasons," Emily shrugged. No way in hell was she going to talk Paige into moving in with her girlfriend when her girlfriend was someone else.

"Is that so babe? You have your reasons?" Kelsey teased, elbowing Paige in the ribs softly.

"Sure do. You snore like a beast, and your shoes...your shoes are fucking everywhere," Paige laughed, elbowing her back before embracing her in a playful headlock.

"Oh shut up," Kelsey barked a laugh, "not like you're the perfect roommate either, miss thing. Miss 'never put the clean laundry away, just pick out of the basket until there's nothing clean left'. Miss 'use all the hot water'," she replied, squirming out of Paige's grasp and giving her one more playful shove. Emily sighed softly at their cuteness. She'd give her left kidney to be the one play fighting with Paige.

"Why are you two drinking before work anyway?" Kelsey wondered, stealing a sip of Paige's mimosa. Emily shrugged as Paige swiped her glass back with a tisk.

"It's hardly drinking, the waffles will soak it up. Besides this is barely champagne. It's the shit Chrissy brought back from South Beach. She said some food writer gave it to her. I'm pretty sure she just swiped it from the hotel," she laughed. Kelsey nodded in understanding, taking a swig of it straight from the bottle and grimacing.

"Yeah, that's absolute piss," she groaned, causing Emily to laugh heartily.

"I didn't take you for a champagne connoisseur, Kels," she commented, mopping up the leftover whipped cream on her plate with her last bite of waffle and devouring it happily.

"Oh yeah, don't let her predisposition for Coors Light forties fool you. She's a real booze officionato," Paige rolled her eyes, and Emily chuckled.

"Whatever, and whatever, okay?" she flipped them both off playfully, "we should be talking about what we're doing this weekend," she finished.

"What's this weekend?" Emily asked, eyeing Paige.

"It's nothing," she replied, looking pointedly at Kelsey.

"It's Paige's birthday! Duh, why are you being stupid?" she asked Paige with a teasing shove.

"Paige you should've told me! What day is it?"

"Sunday. July 1st,"

"We have to do something fun! Really, you're like the center of our little group. Let us do something," Emily pleaded with a smile.

"It's no big deal, the BBQ is in a few days, we can just celebrate them together like we always do," came her reply.

"No, we're celebrating on your actual birthday, just us girls. What do you think Em? Club? Or we could catch the bus into NYC?" she rattled off ideas.

"Why don't we just go to a Phillies game? Joey said we could use his season tickets anytime," Paige mentioned, speaking of a friend of hers from culinary school who also lived in the city.

"Ugh...baseball? That's what you want to do for your birthday? We could go to the beach, babe! We could do anything you want!" Kelsey replied with a whine.

"I want to go to a baseball game!" Paige laughed with a shrug.

"I think that sounds fun," Emily threw in with a smile.

"Are you a fan?" Paige asked with a hopeful grin, glad that Emily was on her side of this silly argument.

"Uh, of course," Emily lied. Truth was, she had never watched a full baseball game in her life. She would have to do some brushing up before the weekend came if she wanted to not look like a total fraud in front of Paige. She knew from conversations with both Paige herself, and Hanna, and from the few times she had hung out in Paige's apartment, that Paige was a huge fan of the local sports teams. Emily had watched football here and there with her dad when she was little, and while she had considered herself a jock in high school, playing basketball and lettering as the captain of the swim team, Paige's knowledge on sports like baseball and hockey far exceeded her own.

"Cool. So that settles it. You think Hanna will be in?" Paige asked, pulling out her phone again to text her friend a time to meet up for the tickets.

"Totally. She uh...she's not one for sports so much, but...she loves you so she'll definitely come," Emily rambled.

"Awesome. Sorry babe, you're gonna have to suck it up and be bored for me," Paige said with a shit eating grin as she slipped her phone in her pocket.

"Whatever, I'll get drunk with Han while you two dorks talk about RPI's," Kelsey rolled her eyes.

"RBI's," Paige corrected.

"What the hell? You bitches didn't invite me for breakfast?" Hanna whined as she emerged from the back kitchen door and sat next to Emily.

"Don't worry Han, I wasn't invited either. I crashed their little breakfast club," Kelsey explained to her friend, now playing on her own phone.

"I'll make it up to you Hanna. Hey you free Sunday? We're going to the Phillies game, for my birthday," Paige explained.

"Oh...uh, yeah sure. Just us 4?" she asked.

"Yup. I know you don't like sports but it's still a good time. All the hot dogs and beer you can stomach on me," she smiled excitedly.

"Deal. You're still having the BBQ right? Isn't that usually your birthday party?" Hanna wondered as she picked at the remains of everyone's breakfast.

"Still having it. Lacey skyped me last night. She can't wait to see you, she wouldn't let me go to bed until I told her 100 times you'd be there," Paige recalled happily, speaking of her eight year old niece that absolutely adored and idolized Hanna.

"That's awesome! I can't wait to see that freakin kid. Wait till you meet Paige's nieces and nephews Em. They're the coolest kids," Hanna gushed.

"Yeah I've heard," she replied.

"Well...I've got to get back to work. You guys can all punch in if you want the overtime. I'll deal with Chrissy," Paige offered, beginning to pick up the dishes scattered on the table.

"I'll get those," Emily smiled, making to stand up and give Paige a hand.

"Take it easy there, employee of the month. We still gotta talk about presents for the birthday girl. Scram, babe," Kelsey ordered, grabbing Emily by the arm and yanking her back down into her seat. Emily's eyes widened at this. What the hell was she supposed to buy Paige for her birthday?

"Fine, I'm gone. Ditch that bottle would you? The last thing I need is someone narcing to Chrissy that I made mimosas for a minor," she pleaded, before heading back into the kitchen.

"So what are you getting Paige?" Emily asked Kelsey, hoping to get some ideas herself.

"Well I arranged for all her nieces and nephews to stay for a few days longer, and got tickets to take them all to Hershey Park. She's always wanted to take them there. Dragging 5 kids through an amusement park is gonna be a long day, but she'll love it. And as long as she buys me one of those 5 pound peanut butter cups in the gift shop I can get through it," she explained.

"That's amazing! She's gonna love it!" Emily exclaimed, wishing she was the one that could pull off a surprise like that for Paige. She imagined for a moment, Paige and herself walking through the theme park hand in hand as they watched the kids go on rides and bought them every single thing they wanted in every single gift shop, sharing an enormous cone of sickeningly sweet cotton candy, kissing between feeding each other bites of overpriced ice cream. She wanted so badly to fit into that place in Paige's life.

"Yeah," Kelsey replied, a lot less excited than Emily was.

"What about you Han?" Emily asked.

"I'm thinking a new chef's coat. I know a guy, makes really cool edgy ones," Hanna replied and Emily arched an eyebrow.

"You know a guy who sells chef coats?" Emily questioned.

"Emily...chef coats are clothes. I don't know anything about being a chef but I know clothes," Hanna replied as if it were nothing.

"Fine then. Let's go shopping tonight. You can help me pick something out too," Emily insisted, earning a simple nod from Hanna as she tapped away at her phone. Emily really wanted a gift that would impress Paige, and make her feel special. It seemed to her as though Paige took on the role of caretaker in every situation, even on her own birthday she would be supplying the tickets for everyone and buying Kelsey whatever she wanted, even though Emily believed it should be the other way around. She had her heart set on spoiling Paige in that moment, showing her how special she was and how much she meant to her.

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Sorry for the delay guys...had a little accident right after I posted the last chapter and was kinda bedridden for a few days. I've been just trying to get back into the swing of things, so thanks for being patient with me. This isn't going to be a chapter a day kind of thing, unfortunately. I don't want to rush this, as I've said before. But I'll do my best to update as quickly as I can.

I know Pretty Little Liars is based in Pennsylvania, so a lot of fics are set there as well. I live just a little drive outside of Philadelphia, born and raised, so it will be an even bigger part of my story. (I am literally in a Flyers jersey as I type this lol) Just a little context for my context :)

I appreciate you guys for reviewing and following this story! Thanks again and always!


	4. Chapter 4

Paige jolted awake as her cell phone vibrated from it's resting place atop her chest. She groaned and stretched, her muscles aching and tight as she realized she fell asleep on the couch the night before. She let her eyes adjust to the light before eventually clicking her phone open, smiling when she saw a text from Emily.

 _Happy Birthday! :)_

Her heart rate increased as she read the text, her first birthday message so far. She couldn't put her finger on it exactly, but she was so happy that her first birthday text came from Emily. She had been having a lot of trouble putting her finger on things when it came to the younger girl the past week or so. She'd caught herself staring a time or two at work this week, and was actually nervous about Emily coming to her annual cookout, and hoping her family wouldn't do anything to embarrass her once they met.

It was something she was fighting like hell, and a little embarrassed about, but she couldn't deny her attraction to Emily. She had a girlfriend after all, who had done nothing wrong, and who would probably rip her to shreds if she knew, but Paige just couldn't help it. Flirting with Emily was fun, and they had similar interests, which is more than she could say for her relationship with Kelsey these days.

What was the harm in flirting anyway?

 _Thanks :) Why are you up so early?_

Paige knew it wouldn't be long until her parents called to wish her happy birthday as well, and texts started pouring in from her brothers and other friends from work. With another stiff stretch and yawn, she sat up on the couch, taking in the disarray of the living room. The TV was still on, though muted, tuned in to the Food Network. There was a pizza box and empty beer bottles scattered about her coffee table. Her jeans, bra and socks lay discarded on the floor underneath the table, being shed at some point through the night leaving her in just a tank and underwear. She remembered Kelsey bailing on the Iron Chef marathon pretty late and heading to bed, she must've drifted off shortly after before making it to bed herself.

 _I guess I'm just really excited to give you your presents :)_

…

 _Also Han slept over and is hogging all the covers so I can't sleep lol_

Paige smiled at this reply as she could totally picture this in her head.

 _Sounds like Hanna. I slept on the couch_

Paige stood up with one last stretch, and began gathering the pizza box and empties from the table before stumbling groggily into the kitchen. Before she had even made enough room in the recycling can for more beer bottles, her phone dinged with a new message.

 _Why? Did you and Kelsey fight?_

 _No, no...nothing like that. I passed out watching Iron Chef. She got bored after a while and went to bed without me._

Paige lay her phone down on the counter and plugged it into the charger as she set on about making a pot of coffee. She was just adding the third scoop of coffee grounds to the filter basket as her phone buzzed again.

 _Her loss ;) Are you excited for the game?_

 _I really am. Why her loss?_

Paige held her breath with a nervous smile as she waited for a response, pressing brew on the coffee maker and pulling down her cup from the cabinet.

 _Cause...she has you as a cuddle buddy. She should take advantage. She could always have this…_

… _._

Paige barked a laugh as a selfie of Emily, sporting an adorable pout, next to a tousled mess of blonde hair peeking out from a bundle of blankets on her bed popped up on her screen. The laugh turned to a dreamy sigh as Paige's eyes lingered just a little too long on the photo. Even first thing in the morning, Emily looked like a supermodel.

 _LMAO...now that's a cuddle buddy. Wake her ass up. We'll have to hit the road soon if we want to get cheesesteaks before the game_

 _Is Kelsey up?_

 _Hell no. I can hear her snoring from the kitchen. I might have to dump ice water on her. Think I'd survive? Lol_

 _Ha! Not a chance. How about we let them sleep and I bring over coffee? You can open your presents until they're ready :):)_

 _Hmm...that sounds nice but I really gotta get in the shower. My mom will be calling soon to say happy birthday._

 _Okayyy :( I guess I should start getting ready too. Text me when you're on your way?_

 _I will :) See you soon_

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"Happy birthday Paigey!" Hanna howled as she crawled into Paige's Jeep, planting a sloppy kiss on her temple from behind before settling into the back seat.

"Thank you Hanna," she replied with a chuckle, watching her and Emily settle into their seats through the rear view mirror.

"So you guys hungry? I thought we could get some cheesesteaks," Paige announced excitedly.

"Before we go to the stadium and eat $11 hot dogs," Kelsey deadpanned from the passenger seat.

"Hell yeah! It's my birthday, and I want a Geno's steak, AND a ballpark hot dog. Maybe even some kettle corn!" she replied excitedly, eliciting a hearty laugh from Emily.

"Sounds good to me! But you're not paying for a thing, okay birthday girl? All your ballpark dogs are on me," Emily offered.

"Yeah...you're still buying mine," Kelsey replied without looking up from her phone. Emily rolled her eyes as Paige shoved her playfully.

"So you want to open your presents now? Or later?" Hanna asked excitedly as she wiggled the beautifully wrapped gift so Paige could see it in the mirror

"Umm...let's wait until later. I am starving," she replied with a grin, setting the car back into drive and pulling away from Emily's house.

"Why so grumpy Kels?" Hanna asked, poking her friend in the shoulder from the backseat.

"It's way too early to be awake on a Sunday," she whined.

"Will you stop? This is gonna be fun, okay? Everyone put on some sunscreen. The ballpark on a hot July day is like sitting in the frying pan on the sun. I don't want anybody whining about sunburn during lunch service tomorrow," Paige warned, passing a tube of sunblock over to her girlfriend.

"Oh yeah, sounds like a blast," Kelsey replied with an eye roll as she began to lather her shoulders.

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"These seats are awesome!" Paige exclaimed, taking a sip of her overpriced beer as they made their way into their row, right on the first base line, "I might be able to get a foul ball from here!"

"Yeah, good thing you brought your glove," Emily smiled, plopping down into her seat to the right of Paige's, watching as Paige followed suit carefully, making sure not to drop her beer or the 2 hot dogs she was balancing in the weathered baseball glove that was already placed snug on her hand.

"Hell yeah. This is my lucky mit. Won 2 state championships in high school pitching with this glove," she bragged, taking a bite of her hot dog.

"You pitched?"

"Mmm...yeah, ever since little league. We made it to 3 state championships but I blew the last one. I ended up getting the flu...we got killed 11-2. But other than that, this glove has never let me down. My dad got it for me when I was 13. We used to get a bunch of the neighborhood kids together and play at the park on the weekends. My dad would bring his grill down in his truck and cook us hot dogs and we'd play all day long. So this one day I was pitching, I threw a heater...right down the middle of the plate to my brother Nathan. I thought I had him, but...he smoked it. Line drive, right up and into my eye. I didn't even see it coming. I went down like a ton of bricks, and the next thing I remember, I'm in the hospital...seven stitches and a really awesome lace-shaped bruise. My mom was furious, and my dad felt terrible...anyway, they made me stay overnight, so when my dad came back in the morning, he had this. Ever since then...it's my good luck charm," she recalled to Emily with a smile.

"That's really sweet. Your dad sounds like a cool guy,"

"He is. I'd love to catch a foul ball for him, you know? He's always wanted a foul ball. That would blow his mind," she replied excitedly.

"You want to get a ball for your dad on _your_ birthday? You really are a daddy's girl huh?" Emily teased.

"Oh yeah. And a mommy's girl, actually. Happens when you're born into a house of 4 boys," she laughed as she finished her first hot dog.

"It's true. Sometimes I'm amazed she actually cut the cord and moved out," Kelsey threw in from the other side of Paige.

"I get it. I'm totally a daddy's girl too. I can't wait for my dad to come home," Emily replied.

"I'm excited to meet him. And if you need any time off, just tell me. You should spend time with him, as much as you can," Paige offered.

"Oh...thanks, but I need to work. He knows that. I mean even with scholarships and financial aid...my parents gave me every dime they had to go to school. They don't really have anything left so...he knows I'm trying to save as much as I can this summer. I'll still get to see him a lot, don't worry," she explained, taking a sip of her own beer.

"Paigey these hot dogs rock! Good call!" Hanna shouted as she enjoyed her meal from Kelsey's left.

"I know right? I mean it's highway robbery, and I'll be up all night with heartburn but...so worth it. You like yours babe?" she asked, digging into her second eagerly.

"It's okay," she shrugged with her mouthful.

"You're nuts. You love it," Paige laughed.

"No, you love it. You're lucky I love you. Better pick up an 8 dollar pack of Tums from the gift shop so your hot dog burps don't ruin your birthday sex extravaganza," her girlfriend warned.

"You're disgusting," Paige laughed, bumping shoulders with her girlfriend playfully. Emily sighed and took a few large gulps of her beer at the thought. Paige looked good...really fucking good in jeans and her favorite jersey, sunglasses and weathered baseball cap tilted just a little bit to the side. Her childlike excitement at everything they saw and heard and ate was one of the most adorable things Emily had ever seen. And at the end of the day, Paige would go home and have birthday sex with Kelsey, not Emily. It was flatout starting to suck.

"I have to pee. Han will you come with me?" Emily announced, standing from her seat.

"Uh...sure. You guys want anything while we're up? Another hot dog Paigey?" Hanan offered as she stood as well.

"Nah, thanks...I'll go get more beers when you come back. They'll card you guys for sure,"

"Okie dokie. We'll be right back," she replied, following Emily out of their row to the stairs as they made their way to the top of the stadium.

"What's wrong? Did you get your period or something?" Hanna asked.

"No," came Emily's reply.

"What is it then?"

"Why can't I just have to pee? I just downed a coke and a beer, you know,"

"Em," Hanna sighed.

"I just...I don't need to hear about the birthday sex they're gonna have tonight. That's all," she explained with a shrug.

"Oh Em…"

"No, it's...I'm fine. Except that Paige is gorgeous, and perfect and funny and sweet and I'm falling in love with her...and she's everything I ever wanted and more, and she's taken by another really cool girl, who has been really awesome to me this summer...who I feel really bad for because how can I be her friend and secretly hope for her relationship to fail? How can I sit there and listen to them giggle about the birthday sex they're going to have all night when I would give anything to be the one who gets to give Paige birthday sex?"

"Okay, down girl. I'm so sorry you're hurting, Em. I really am. I thought things were getting better? I mean you and Paige seem so tight, with your coffee dates and stuff…"

"Things are fine, we hang out and text constantly and it's amazing...it's just...I don't know how to stop wanting more. I don't know how many more times she can smile that freakin smile at me before I snap and try to suck it off her face," Emily explained.

"I wish I knew what to say…" Hanna winced as they made their way into the ladies room and Emily immediately walked over to the mirror, beginning to fuss with her hair.

"Don't worry about it, Han. Let's just have fun. Forget I mentioned it,"

"Hey. It'll be alright. One way or another, Em," Hanna said, rubbing her friend's shoulder.

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"Did you have fun today?" Paige asked Emily, who was staring out the passenger seat window. She had already dropped Kelsey off at her own apartment so she could shower and sneak in a quick nap, and sensing Emily was dying for a little more time alone with Paige, Hanna had insisted Paige drop her off at her mom's. Now it was just the two of them, tired and cheeks flushed from a long day in the sun, making the drive back to Emily's house.

"Yeah...I did. Did you? It was your day afterall," Emily replied with a tired smile.

"Yeah it was great. I'm beat, though. Looking forward to cranking up the air conditioner and passing out," she chuckled, taking a sip of the bottled water she was holding in her lap as she drove.

"Yeah me too. I'm gonna have to set like...10 alarms to get up on time tomorrow," Emily laughed.

"Oh...well, actually I was wondering...uh, you know what? Never mind. Sleep in, it's been a long day," Paige stuttered, getting into the turning lane and waiting for the light to turn green.

"No...what were you going to say?" Emily asked softly.

"Uh...well, I thought maybe we could have breakfast again tomorrow? Like we did the other day? I really liked that. And then I can open your present...with just you," Paige admitted and Emily damn near melted in her seat. Her brain knew this wasn't like Paige was asking her on a date, not a real one, but her heart was too worked up to care. Paige wanted to cook for her again, Paige wanted to spend time with her, Paige wanted to open her gift from Emily with just Emily there to see.

"Yeah...yeah I'd like that a lot," she smiled.

"Are you sure? If you're too tired I understand. We can totally do it another time," Paige replied, keeping her eyes focused on the road as the light finally turned.

"I'm sure. Breakfast with you is something worth getting out of bed for," Emily cooed.

"Well thanks, that's one of the highest compliments a chef can get from someone on summer vacation," Paige laughed, "how do blueberry pancakes sound? Maybe a little bacon?" she continued, making the turn onto Emily's street.

"Like I'm about to start drooling all over your Jeep," Emily replied dreamily.

"Well good thing we're here then. Home again, home again," she smiled as she pulled up to the curb in front of the house she recognized from this morning.

"Thanks for bringing me home," Emily sighed, not ready for their alone time to be over, "you sure you don't want to open your present tonight?"

"I'll save it for tomorrow. I've already had a birthday overload today. It'll be more fun that way," she smiled.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay. You probably want to get home and celebrate with Kelsey, so…" Emily muttered, getting her things together on her lap.

"Em. Thank you for coming today. I don't think I would've had half as much fun without you," Paige admitted, reaching out and touching Emily's hand, freezing her frantic movements. Emily sucked in a sharp breath and tried to keep her cool.

"Really?" she asked shakily.

"Yeah. I'm really glad you were there. And I'm really loving getting to know you. Getting to spend time with you," she continued.

"Me...me too," Emily stuttered.

"Okay. So breakfast tomorrow? Nine-ish?" she asked, her hand still on Emily's.

"Nine-ish. Yes. Breakfast. Uh huh, I'll be there," Emily stuttered, her eyes glued to where Paige's hand rested on hers.

"Awesome. I'll see you then. Sleep well," Paige smiled, leaning over and giving Emily a peck on the cheek, and immediately pulling her into a one armed hug over the center console.

"Um...yeah you too, Happy Birthday, Paige," Emily replied, tying her arms tightly around Paige's back and milking the hug for all she could. Paige smelled like coconuts from the sunblock she had been reapplying all day and Emily wanted to drown in it, drown in Paige and stay forever trapped in this hug. It was all she could do to not start sobbing in Paige's arms...her strong, chiseled arms that had been sculpted by the lesbian gods and kissed by the sun. When she felt Paige start to pull back, she too released and left a kiss on Paige's own cheek, a little closer to her mouth than was appropriate. She winced at her mistake, expecting a slap or string of curses from Paige, but when their eyes met Paige simply smiled at her, not angry but not at all unphased. It was the first time since they had met that things had ceased to feel one sided for Emily, that she felt like Paige could possibly be struggling with the same types of feelings.

"Text me later?" she asked in a barely audible whisper, not breaking eye contact.

"Promise," Paige replied dreamily, almost entranced as she watched Emily finish gathering her things and step out of the car.

"Goodnight. Get home safe," she waved, closing the door to Paige's Jeep and taking a few steps back onto her front lawn. Paige waved back before checking her mirrors and taking off down the street and out of sight. Emily pulled out her phone and located Hanna on her speed dial, and waited for her to pick up as she made her way to the front porch.

"Hello?" she heard after two rings.

"Han. Paige just freakin kissed me," she exhaled, giving her shaky legs a break as she plopped down onto the porch swing.

"What?! No fucking way, are you serious?" Hanna exclaimed from the other line, so loud Emily almost dropped her phone.

"I mean...it was on the cheek. But she touched my hand, and asked me to breakfast, and kissed me on the cheek and then hugged me so freakin tight...I never wanted her to let go. I couldn't even breathe but I didn't care, I could've died in that hug and been fine with it," she rambled.

"So…"

"So what?"

"So what did you say? Did she say anything?"

"I...no, I didn't say shit! I almost peed my pants! Then when she let go I kissed her back, like wayyy too close to her mouth, and she didn't say anything. She just smiled and said goodnight. I think she likes me back, Han. That was like the most romantic moment of my damn life and it was with someone else's girlfriend,"

"Okay, Em. Okay. I think you need to get some sleep. You were both tired, Paige was on a birthday high...just...go relax. You guys can talk it out tomorrow," Hanna tried to sooth her.

"You don't think it meant anything?" Emily questioned.

"I...I don't know, Em. I wasn't there. I do know that Paige isn't going to cheat on Kelsey like she means nothing to her...they've been together for a long time. That's all I'm saying,"

"Right. Yeah, I know. God...I'm being so stupid," Emily groaned.

"You're not stupid, Em. We'll figure it out tomorrow okay? Paige would never hurt Kelsey, but she would never hurt you either okay? That I do believe," Hanna told her, and Emily took a deep breath.

"Yeah. I need to sleep," she replied.

"Good idea. I'll see you at work, Em. Sleep tight," Hanna offered and the line went dead. Emily sighed, keeping her phone out as she decided to scroll through the pictures from the day. Most of them were of all 4 girls, at Geno's enjoying their cheesesteaks, a goofy shot of them from their seats at the game, but Emily stopped and smiled at, of course, one of just her and Paige. At some point during the 5th inning, Paige had taken a birthday call from one of her brothers, immediately handing her lucky glove to Emily. Emily had slid it onto her own hand, smiling as she listened to Paige adorably describe her birthday activities to her brother. Only a few minutes into the call, Emily perked up as the loud crack of the ball colliding with the wooden bat rang in her ears. Before she even had time to really think about it, she saw the ball sailing their way and instinctively stood, shoving her gloved hand in the air. It seemed to take forever, but eventually with a little leap to her right, she was able to wrangle the ball, right into Paige's lucky mit. She looked down at it with a shocked smile, and then down at Paige who was screaming excitedly into the phone all about the foul ball that she couldn't wait to show their father. After she had finally gotten off the phone, she insisted that they take a selfie with the ball and glove still safely on Emily's hand. She had put her arm around Emily's shoulder and they both smiled ear to ear for the camera.

Emily let out a heavy sigh, though she was smiling as she clicked on the photo and made it her wallpaper.

"God Paige...what are you doing to me?" she muttered to herself, as she shoved her phone away and headed into the house for a hot bath and some much needed sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

By the time her alarm went off the next day, Paige had hardly gotten any sleep. Only the street lights and flashing green numbers on her alarm clock illuminated her bedroom as she groaned and reached over to turn it off. Six thirty. Paige sighed, turning on her other side to face Kelsey, still sound asleep.

Their birthday sex extravaganza had lasted until the early morning hours, leaving Kelsey immediately unconscious, and Paige equally exhausted, but too weighed down in thought to drift off to sleep.

She had tried everything. Counting sheep, reading a book to tire her eyes, a glass of wine, then two. No matter how she tried to distract herself, it was Emily dancing around her brain that kept her from her rest that night.

She couldn't get it out of her head. The way Emily had looked at her when she dropped her off, begging her with her eyes not to leave. The way she hugged her back so tight, the kiss. God, that kiss. Paige knew she should be upset, maybe even pissed off. But here she was, 12 hours later, and she swore, even after a shower and hours of sex with another girl, she could still feel Emily's kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Paige sighed again, letting her fingers dance along the exposed skin of Kelsey's back as she slept on. Kelsey would kill her if she knew what she was thinking. How excited she was to get out of this bed and go make pancakes for Emily. How lately, Emily was the easiest person in her life to talk to.

Paige knew it wasn't that Kelsey had done anything wrong. Kelsey was just being herself, who she had always been, who Paige had agreed to date a long time ago. It just didn't feel like enough anymore. She wasn't sure if it was because she had just turned 25, or if it was being around a younger girl like Emily. She was suddenly very aware of her desire to settle down, and think about things like buying a home, starting a family. She knew it was still a few years off in her future, but family had always been a priority to Paige, and it was a focus that Kelsey just didn't share. As much as Paige loved her, when she pictured her future with a white picket fence and kids, she just couldn't see Kelsey there.

With a tired stretch and a kiss to Kelsey's shoulder, Paige pushed herself up out of bed, and got ready for her shower.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Being up so early had proven beneficial after all, and Paige had really scored at the farmer's market. She was in the zone now, chopping, searing, stirring away. She had been at the restaurant for a little over an hour and already had a counter full of experiments and tasty things for Emily to try. At this point, they probably wouldn't even have room for the blueberry pancakes Paige had promised her.

As Paige was carefully layering a spoonful of orange glaze onto her freshly grilled pork medallion, she heard a loud pounding on the back kitchen door. She looked over in question, it was still a little early, but maybe Emily couldn't sleep either.

"Come in!" She yelled, wondering why Emily had bothered to knock in the first place. After a moment, still focused on her plating, she heard the door swing open.

"Jesus, Paige. I could've been anyone," her head snapped up when she heard a familiar male voice and not Emily's, "are you here by yourself?" He finished, making his way over to her, a neatly wrapped birthday gift in his hand.

"Owen?! Oh my God!" She hollered, dropping her spoon and running into her brother's open arms.

Owen was Paige's youngest, and closest brother. Only 3 years apart, they had grown up extremely close, and while Paige adored all her brothers, it was Owen she leaned on the most. It had been extremely difficult for Paige when he had moved to Vermont for college, only to relocate to a small town in Delaware, two hours outside of Philadelphia for work. They talked on the phone and skyped as much as possible, but with his teaching schedule and her hours at the restaurant, it wasn't nearly as much as she liked. She hadn't seen him since a few months prior, when he married his highschool sweetheart and she danced the night away at his wedding with the rest of her brothers.

"What are you doing here?" She asked as he hugged her tightly, lifting her off the ground.

"Like I need an excuse to come see my little sister for her birthday?" He laughed, releasing her with a kiss to her forehead and handing her her gift.

"You'll be in town for the BBQ still, right? You're not bailing on me?"

"Of course not. I'll be there. Somebody's gotta make sure dad doesn't kill himself with the fireworks," he laughed.

"I'm so happy you're here. Are you in town all day? I have to work but maybe we can do something after?" She asked hopefully, shaking the gift near her ear.

"I'm here all day. Brit and I spent the weekend in Atlantic City. We were too tired to drive back home so thought it would be nice to get a hotel here in the city and surprise you. She wrapped that," he explained with a chuckle, pointing to the gift.

"Where is she?" She asked of her brother's wife.

"Still sleeping. I wanted to come see you before you got busy. You shouldn't be here by yourself so early in the morning. Or at all. I could've been a serial killer, you know," he warned, crossing his arms.

"Right. I forgot about the Philly serial killer that's going around, chopping up chefs at 8 in the morning," Paige laughed, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious Paige. I know we're in the rich part of town but people are still sick. Have one of the guys come in early with you or something," he suggested.

"Owen. You worry too much,"

"Yeah, yeah. Open your present," he ordered, and Paige began to tear the brightly colored paper and ribbons. Her jaw dropped as she caught sight of what was in the box, a pair of tickets on top of what appeared to be a hoodie.

"Bruce Springsteen tickets! Are you kidding me? Awesome!" She exclaimed, bouncing on her toes.

"Hell yeah. Next month. I was planning on buying them, but Brit's boss knows a guy. Eighth row, Paigey. The Boss," he grinned.

"This is so cool. I can't wait…" she smiled as she set the tickets aside and pulled out the rest of her gift, "A Lafayette College baseball hoodie?" She questioned, holding it up to herself as if sizing it anyway.

"Well, your big bro just got the head coaching job there, so I thought you might like it," he shrugged with a grin.

"What! Oh my God that's amazing!" She yelled, almost tackling him with another hug.

"Yeah. Brit and I are closing on a house in Bethlehem in September. We'll be about an hour closer to you, and to mom and dad...the pay is a lot better...it's good, Paigey. I'm so excited," he explained.

"Me too! Why didn't you tell me, you dork?" She laughed, slapping him in the chest. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him in a playful headlock, tousling her hair.

"Hey, let go!" She giggled, attempting to push her way out of the atomic noogie he was inflicting on her now. After a few moments of shoves and gentle punches exchanged between them he released her, both of them still laughing.

"I wanted to surprise you. What's all this food, huh? You don't open for hours," he asked, gesturing to all the plates Paige had laid out on the counter.

"Oh, uh...I'm expecting someone for breakfast," she shrugged, setting her gifts aside and propping herself up to sit on the empty section of the counter top.

"Mmhmm...you always make grilled scallops and short ribs for breakfast?" He questioned.

"I...may have gone a little overboard," she replied, kicking her legs back and forth from her place on the counter.

"Who is all of this for anyway? You trying to schmooze a food critic?"

"It's for a girl. This girl I met. Emily," she replied honestly.

"Oh? Did you finally kick Kelsey to the curb?" He asked, his eyebrows arched in surprise.

"I...no...we're still together. It's complicated. Since when do you not like Kelsey?" She replied.

"She's no good for you Paigey. She's not the kind of girl you bring home to mom. And yet you did, and mom doesn't like her either,"

"What? Sure she does. Mom loves her," Paige argued.

"No, mom loves you, and wants you to be happy. If Kelsey makes you happy, she'd support that. But something is telling me that's not the case. Huh? Who is Emily?" He asked, poking Paige in the shoulder.

"She's...a girl. She just started here at the end of May," she explained with a shrug.

"So you're dating two girls?"

"No...no I'm not dating her. I'm just...she's a friend. She's a friend who I like spending time with and...who I almost kissed yesterday," she rambled, looking down at her feet.

"Geeze, Paige,"

"I know. I'm making a damn mess of things. No matter what I do someone's going to get hurt," she groaned.

"What's Emily like?" He asked, taking a seat next to her on the counter.

"She's...unlike anyone I've ever met. She's smart and fun and compassionate...and so unbelievably gorgeous. And she likes me too, and she thinks I don't know and it's the cutest thing ever. We have a lot in common. But she's going back to North Carolina at the end of the summer, going back to school. Maybe I'm just being stupid. I just...I'm happy when I'm around her," she ranted.

"Back to school? How old is this girl?"

"She's 19,"

"19! Geeze, Paige,"

"Oh shut up! Come on, of all people you wouldn't be the one I'd expect to give me crap for this,"

"I'm not...I'm not. Mom might, though," he laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him. She laughed at this and rested her head against his shoulder.

"I am so far away from telling mom about this you have no idea. What about you huh? Aside from getting a great job and buying a new house, what else have you been up to?"

"Just relaxing for the summer. Off season practice starts as soon as school does, they're a little more intense than the high school guys," he laughed.

"New job, new house...you know what comes next right?" She pried, teasing the only of her brothers that was yet to have children.

"Yeah, yeah. Babies. We're working on it. The house has three bedrooms and Brit stopped taking the pill last month. You sound like mom," he laughed.

"Whatever. You've been married 3 months, it's time for my niece or nephew,"

"Relax, Aunt Paige. We're gonna give you all the babies you can handle. I'm just enjoying having a marriage at the moment. Kids will come," he explained.

"How is Brittany?" She continued.

"She's great. Excited to see you,"

"You guys should come over for dinner tonight. I'll make those shrimp tacos she likes," Paige offered.

"Hell no, you're not working all day and then cooking for us. We're taking you out, our treat. You can bring Kelsey. Or Emily," he told her with a chuckle.

"Ha ha. Where do you want to go?" She asked, rolling her eyes at the joke.

"Wherever you want, it's your birthday dinner," he replied. Before their conversation could continue, Paige heard the door swing open again, and couldn't help but smile as she saw Emily saunter into the kitchen, two coffees in hand like usual, and another birthday gift sticking several inches out of her purse.

"Paige? I'm a little early, I…oh...uh, I'm sorry...I...I should've called I guess…" Emily rambled as she came around the corner and saw Paige still sitting with her brother.

"No worries, Em. Come here," Paige waved her over with a big grin. Whatever was going on between them, Emily sure wasn't making it easy on her. It was all Paige could do not to hop off the counter and kiss her senseless when she got a glimpse of Emily in her tank top, yoga pants and reading glasses. She was Paige's fantasy, alive and walking around in her kitchen.

"Yeah, I see your problem," Owen whispered into his sister's ear, keeping his eyes on Emily as she shuffled over.

"Shut up," she whispered back, still grinning at Emily, who handed Paige a coffee with a shy, embarrassed smile of her own.

"Em, this is my brother Owen. He surprised me for my birthday. Owen, this is Emily," she introduced them, taking a sip of her iced coffee as they shook hands.

"Nice to meet you Emily. I've heard a lot about you," he winked.

"Yeah you too. Uh...I...I'm a mess, I was just going to get dressed after we ate…" she rambled.

"Don't worry about it, Em," Paige comforted her.

"Yeah, no, you guys had plans, I'm the one crashing. I'll get out of here. Paigey, call me when you're done," he kissed his sister on the head once more before hopping off the counter.

"You can have breakfast with us, Owen," Paige offered, and Emily nodded with a smile.

"I am going to go have breakfast with my guys enjoy, I'll see you tonight. It was nice to meet you Emily. Keep an eye on my sis here, would ya?" He joked with another wink, this time giving Emily a hug.

"Yeah. I will. It was nice meeting you too," she smiled.

"See you tonight, butthead," Paige waved as he made his way to the back door, laughing as he flipped her off playfully before exiting.

"Well, that was a nice surprise," Emily commented, having enjoyed just the few minutes she got to watch Paige and her brother interact.

"Tell me about it…" Paige replied, checking her cell phone as it dinged next to her on the counter.

 _That's the girl you bring home to mom. -Owen_

"Uh...hi! Good morning," she continued, shoving her phone away and hopping down off the counter.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Emily asked.

"Not at all. I like your glasses. You should wear those all the time," Paige commented, handing a plate of food to Emily.

"Uh...thanks, but I just wear them when I have problems with my contacts. I didn't sleep well either so my eyes are bothering me. What's this?" She asked, taking the plate offered to her.

"Seared pork loin with a sweet potato puree, wild mushrooms and a orange honey reduction," Paige explained proudly, taking another plate for herself.

"Mmm...it's delicious…" Emily commented, digging in eagerly, "but uh...what happened to blueberry pancakes?" She asked with a teasing smile.

"Oh. Yeah. I uh...I can still make those if you want. I got the blueberries this morning...but then I got all this other stuff too, and I was stressed and tired this morning and I just started playing with stuff and...well, this all happened," she explained, pointing to the rest of the plates on the counter.

"You do stress a lot different than I do stress," Emily laughed, swiping her finger across her plate to finish off the sauce and sucking it off happily, before swapping it for another, "What's this one?" She asked, taking a bite before even waiting for an answer.

"Portabella mushroom stuffed with snow crab, andouille sausage, parmesan cheese and a little bit of jalapeno," Paige replied, taking one for herself and popping it in her mouth.

"Mmm...that's so good. I could eat like a million of these," Emily moaned.

"I thought you'd like them. That's why I made them a little spicy," Paige smiled.

"Oh! Speaking of, here! Open your present…" Emily hollered, pushing her plate out of the way and digging the gift out of her bag. She smiled as she handed it over and Paige took it with a smile of her own.

"A sriracha keychain? That's so cool!" Paige exclaimed, tearing the trinket from its place taped to the top of her larger gift.

"I knew you'd love it! Hanna and I found them in this little shop we went to in New Hope the other night, the one Hanna got you the jacket from," she explained, gesturing to Paige's new black chef's coat with lime green lapels and piping, "and it reminded me of the first time we hung out, when we ate the sriracha pizza? Anyway I thought you might like it. I got like 20 of them," she laughed.

"I do love it. People who don't like spicy food just don't understand," she chuckled back, immediately hooking it onto her keys and holding it up for Emily to see.

"I know right? Hanna made fun of me cause as soon as I got them, I bought french fries and covered them. She wouldn't touch them," Emily laughed. She picked up another plate, looking at Paige in question once again before taking a bite.

"Mmm…" she moaned, her eyes closing in pleasure. Paige's brain nearly short circuited at the sight.

"Uh...um...that's a pan seared scallop with pancetta and a raspberry balsamic glaze," she stuttered.

"Amazing. Why isn't any of this on the menu?" Emily asked.

"Cause Christina is an uptight, controlling bitch who doesn't let me stray away from what works. I mean...I'm proud of my menu, don't get me wrong. But if I had it my way we'd have like 30 good plates that we rotate weekly, not 10 constants," Paige explained, beginning to tear into the wrapping paper on the rest of her gift.

"You need your own restaurant then," Emily surmised, happily licking her plate clean and discarding it with the rest.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Unfortunately that requires a few million dollars I don't have," she replied.

"You'll get there. I believe in you,"

"Really?"

"Of course. This is like, the best food I ever ate. And the rest of the stuff you make, even though you're sick of making it...people love it. I had a guy the other night who ate 3 orders of your risotto! 3 orders!" Emily exclaimed.

"Yeah well, people buy more food when their waitress is as cute as you," Paige shrugged.

"Or when they're eating at the best restaurant in town, and the food tastes like angels made it,"

"It's just risotto,"

"No it's not. Paige, you woke up stressed out and you made all these wonderful things...this is your heart on a plate. It's beautiful, it's art and people love it. That alone is enough proof that you're going to go places. Not to mention the fact that everyone in this restaurant loves you, and you have a family who would do anything for you. You're already successful, Paige. You just have to decide what else you want out of life," Emily told her.

"Yeah...I'm working on that. Hey...um...you still want those pancakes?" She asked.

"No...no this stuff is plenty. I want you to open your present," Emily grinned, gesturing to the still unopened box in Paige's hand.

"Right. Yeah...sorry…" she replied, pulling the box apart and unraveling the tissue paper. She held in her hands a cookbook, her jaw hanging open in surprise as she surveyed it.

"You got me Alex Guarnaschelli's cookbook? But...I...how did…" she stuttered.

"I may have cheated. Hanna told me she's your favorite. Do you have it already?" Emily winced.

"No, I don't. And she is my favorite. This is awesome, Emily, thank you," Paige replied.

"Open it up,"

"I will, I'll read it later. I should put it away so it doesn't get dirty,"

"Paige. Just open it," Emily pleaded, taking a step closer and covering Paige's hands with her own around the book. With a nod, Paige gulped audibly and opened the front cover of the book. Perched inside was a printed copy of the picture of herself and Emily from the baseball game the day before.

"Oh wow...Em. Thank you. I love it...you're...it's...it's beautiful. Thank you," Paige stuttered. She couldn't help but smile at how happy they both looked in the photo, how they looked so much like a couple.

"I couldn't get over that smile. You look so happy, I thought...you should frame it and keep it on your desk or something. So when you have a bad day you can remember how much fun we had, how happy you were in that moment. Cause that smile could fix the worst bad day ever. I printed a copy for me too. For my desk at school," Emily told her. Paige nodded, sucking in a sharp breath as she continued looking at the photo.

"Em...thank you. I love this. It's so thoughtful. Thank you," Paige muttered, quickly gathering Emily into a hug, gifts still clutched in her hands behind Emily's back.

"You're welcome," Emily sighed happily, tying her own arms around Paige and melting into the hug. They stood there just enjoying the feel of each other's embrace, so tight not even light could get between them. Emily's grip tightened, her breath hitching when she felt Paige nuzzle into her neck.

"Paige? Are you okay?" She asked in a barely audible whisper. She was now clutching the back of Paige's chef's coat so tightly, she feared she might tear it.

Paige struggled with an answer. Part of her wanted to spill her guts, tell Emily everything she had been agonizing over since the night before. Another part wanted to pull just far enough out of that hug to kiss Emily and never, ever stop. Figuring, at the moment at least, that neither of those options would end well for her, she inhaled deeply before pulling away, setting her gifts aside and gripping both of Emily's hands in hers.

"I...yeah...sorry. I'm just...tired and...emotional I guess. Seeing Owen...he's like my best friend. I mean I'm glad he surprised me. I just miss him a lot," Paige deadpanned, still holding onto Emily's hands and struggling with making eye contact.

"He seems like a really nice guy. And you guys really look alike. I guess stunning good looks just run in the family huh?" Emily joked with a little swing of their joined hands. She could tell Paige was struggling with more than just emotions from seeing her brother, but she wouldn't push it, for now.

"Uh...we do all kind of look alike, yeah. Growing up, a lot of people thought Owen and I might be twins, even though he's 3 years older," Paige shrugged.

"I can see that. I love how much you love your family," Emily crooned.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I can see you with a big family someday too. A pretty wife and lots of kids. Big swimming pool in the back...and you like, chase each other around and throw each other in the water...and then you wrap them all up in big fluffy beach towels...and tuck them in for a nap while you make them an awesome dinner. You'd read them bedtime stories with all kinds of funny voices, and they giggle until they pass out...then you wake up super early to pack them amazing lunches, put a cute little note in each one reminding them how much you love them..." Emily daydreamed outloud.

"That sounds nice…" Paige smiled dreamily.

"It does," Emily agreed.

"What about you huh? Do you want all those things too?" Paige wondered.

"Oh yeah. My wife is gonna be smoking hot," Emily winked with a laugh.

"Well you're never gonna find her hanging out here with this dork," Emily and Paige heard from their right, both startled to see Kelsey making her way into the kitchen.

"Uh...hey babe, what are you doing here? It's still early…" Paige mumbled as her girlfriend made her way over.

"Your bro came looking for you. At like 7:30," she explained, greeting Paige with a firm kiss on the mouth, "where is he?"

"He already left. Um...he...wants to take me, us...take us out to dinner tonight," Paige rambled. She chanced a glance over to Emily, who was trying not to let her disappointment at their sudden interruption show.

"Nice. I'm down for a free meal. One of these nights though we gotta get to a bar so E-money here can get laid," Kelsey replied, pinning Emily with a pitiful frown.

"Oh...not necessary. I'm fine," Emily insisted, suddenly extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh come on Em. You're young and hot, it's summer, you should be swimming in girls. You should be getting some every night, waking up and having shower sex all morning. And for the record, so should I," Kelsey lectured, with a shove to Paige's shoulder.

"Hey, you get plenty," Paige hissed.

"How about Friday night Em? Dollar shooter night at Stir. Believe me when I tell you, you will have your pick of the hottest herd in the city. We'll get you nice and loose, you can dance your ass off, bring a pretty girl home to play with all weekend," Kelsey suggested as she began to pick at their leftovers.

"Um...I don't know...I…"

"Relax, I can get you a fake ID. I already got Hanna one. She likes it there, she can come with us! It'll be fun, right babe?" She continued, wrapping her arms around Paige from behind and resting her chin on her shoulder.

"Uh...I don't know, babe. She doesn't really seem into it. Maybe we can just go to a movie or something instead," Paige shrugged. As terrified as she was to bust a move, the idea of Emily dancing and hooking up with a random girl from the bar made Paige sick to her stomach.

"God, you two are a couple grandmas, you know? You're not gonna meet girls at the movies, Em. Trust me, I'll get you laid," Kelsey winked at her, pressing a firm kiss to Paige's neck before releasing her with a firm smack to her ass and heading off to the dining room, no doubt to sneak a drink from the bar.

"Kelsey, I don't really want...I'm not looking...I kind of have feelings for someone," Emily announced with a shy shrug.

"Oh honey, I know. But I'm already taken," Kelsey laughed, before crashing through the doors and disappearing.

"I...I'm gonna go get ready…" Emily stammered, grabbing her purse from the counter and following Kelsey, who to no surprise, was ripcording some Southern Comfort right from the bottle from behind the bar.

"Kels, can we talk?" Emily asked, sitting on one of the barstools.

"What up E-Money?" She replied, sliding the bottle down to her and leaning on her elbows to listen.

"I don't care if we go dancing or whatever but I really don't want a hookup. This thing...this girl I like...it's tough, and it hurts and I just...don't want to be with anyone else while I feel like that," Emily confessed.

"You think I've never been there? Before I met Paige I was majorly fucked up too. My mom had just died, and then my girlfriend moved to Oklahoma and shit was real bad. Then Paige showed up, and I was just like...uh, yes please! Never looked back,"

"So what did you do?"

"About Paige? Asked her to come over for Chinese food and movies. Ended up getting stupid drunk on watermelon rum and fucking on my balcony. We woke up the next day, hungover as shit and she made us these awesome breakfast burritos and we hung out in bed all day and I never felt better. She fixed me you know? I was just tryin to fuck her brains out, and she turned out being my everything, exactly what I needed. You deserve that too E-money,"

Emily sighed deeply, picking up the bottle and taking a swig. She winced as it burned down her throat, coughing a few times and passing it back to Kelsey.

"So me and Paige have dinner with her bro tonight, but how about after we bring over a bottle and talk this thing out? You can tell us about this girl, I can kick her ass if you want me to…" Kelsey offered, taking another hit from the bottle, noticeably larger than the one Emily had just taken.

"Thanks, but that's okay. Hanna's coming over after work. Besides, Paige is pretty beat. I'm sure she'll want to go home and go to bed," Emily smiled.

"Fine, but Wednesday at the BBQ, we're getting fucking wasted and you're gonna spill. And who knows? Maybe you'll hook up, maybe you won't. But maybe you will," she winked.

"Aren't there going to be kids at this party?" Emily wondered.

"Yeah, so? There's also gonna be hot chicks at this party. Hot drunk chicks, and fireworks. Just saying Emmy Em. Stay open minded,"

"Alright. Thanks Kelsey," she replied, gathering her stuff again and standing to head into the bathroom.

"You going to get ready?"

"Yeah,"

"Cool. Come on we got time, I'll do your hair," she offered, stumbling a bit before looping her arm in Emily's and leading her to the bathroom.

"You're a good friend Kels. Thanks…" Emily smiled through a sigh.

"I got your back baby girl, no worries,"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

So sorry for the delay, everyone. It's been a rough couple weeks, I won't bore you with excuses but I am sorry. Hopefully this extra long chapter makes up for it. I can't make any promises on the next chapter but I will do my best.

Thank you for reading, as always :)


	6. Chapter 6

Right off the bat, I just wanna say thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and of course for your patience. I have had some medical issues as of late, ones that make it hard to stare at a computer screen for long periods of time. However, this past week was probably my easiest pain week since Christmas, so I'm hopeful.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you sure we shouldn't stop for more booze? Just in case?" Kelsey pried, gawking at Paige from the passenger seat of her Jeep as they cruised down the turnpike on their way to Paige's parents' home in New Jersey. It was where they held the party every year, given the lack of yard space at Paige's apartment building.

"Will you relax? You know my dad. He's probably been stocking up on beer since Easter. And I'm sure he made jello shots. Just take it easy okay? I don't think you need to be getting piss drunk in front of my mom. Especially not around the kids," Paige warned.

"Babe, I'm gonna need four shots just to be around your mom. Besides, I'm not asking for me. Emily needs to tie one on and have fun today," she explained, reaching down into her purse and pulling out her flask.

"Are you fucking serious?!" Paige hollered, trying to push the flask back down out of the view of other drivers.

"What? Geeze, Paige it's a holiday, lighten up!" She whined.

"Yes, exactly it's a holiday, and there's cops all over the road. You really can't wait until we get there to drink? It's not even noon yet," Paige reminded her.

"It's hardly a drink, Paige. It's just vodka and mango juice. Besides, I'm not driving," she argued, taking a long pull.

"Alright, great, there you go. Please put it away, babe?" She begged.

"Fine, it's away, it's away…" she grumbled, shoving it back into her bag. As Paige settled back down into her seat, a phone call popped up on her screen through the hands free system in her radio. It was her mother.

"Hey mom," she hollered as she picked up, ensuring she would hear her through the speakers. Her mother often told her she sounded like she was talking to her from inside a tin can when she used the bluetooth. Then again, her parents still used two of Paige's old flip phones she had outgrown in high school. They weren't too keen on keeping up with technology.

"Hi baby! You're on the road?" Her mother greeted.

"Yeah, we're about half an hour out. Traffic is a little crazy,"

"Ah, well that's to be expected honey. Did you get everything? Your father is getting antsy about those ribs he ordered," her mother chuckled.

"I got the ribs, Phil had them ready first thing this morning. He gave me some steaks on the house, too," Paige explained, speaking of a friend of her father's, and her go to butcher in the city.

"Good, he'll be happy to hear that. He's already fussing with that damn grill. He was up at 4 this morning getting the burgers ready to go," Paige's mom rambled.

"Well good. I know we're starving, I'll need a burger to hold me over while these ribs cook,"

"Don't you worry, honey, we have plenty of food. I hope you have lots of friends coming. They won't leave hungry, that's for sure. And your dad already set up that damn ladder ball game. He wants a day long tournament," she laughed.

"Plenty of people from the restaurant are coming. We won't leave you with too many leftovers, I promise,"

"Okay, sweetheart. Well Nathan and Heather just pulled in, I'm going to go smooch on my grandbabies. Get here safe, my love. No injuries, no accidents?"

"No injuries, no accidents. I'll be there before you know it, mom,"

"Okay baby. Love you!"

"Love you too mom. Bye," Paige replied, ending the call.

"Hanna just text me. She went the wrong way on the turnpike. They're gonna be a little late," Kelsey laughed. Paige chuckled too, picking up her iced coffee from the cupholder and taking a sip.

"Geeze. She should've just let Emily drive,"

"Hell no she shouldn't have. I told you, babe. We gotta get Em to kick back today, and relax. She's going through some shit. She will be drinking," Kelsey reminded her.

"Whatever her shit is, she seems to be handling it fine," Paige shrugged.

"She is. She's a tough chick. But we're her friends, and she's hurting. Is your mom's neighbor coming over? She's hot as shit, I bet Emily wouldn't mind a night with her," Kelsey mused.

"Who, Vanessa? Nice idea I guess, except she's 30," Paige laughed.

"Well I'm just saying. She can check out the drapes. Doesn't mean she's gotta buy the whole house. I don't hear you coming up with ideas,"

"I'm...she's...I'm no good at set ups," Paige babbled, though it wasn't her true reason, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"Well that's true. You're kind of a mess without me, you know it?" Kelsey replied, beginning to play with the radio.

"Hey!" Paige whined

"Oh come on. You know you're hella sexy, you know you're my world. I'm just better at this kind of thing," Kelsey shrugged.

"I won't argue with that. Just don't be a nuisance, okay? She'll date when she's ready. Emily could have any girl she wanted,"

"True. I mean she's hot, she's smart, she's fun...what do you think is wrong with this chick who won't give her a chance?" Kelsey wondered.

"She's a huge moron…" Paige sighed.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"There's a toll coming up. You got any change Em?" Hanna asked.

"What happened to the change from the coffee?" Emily replied, rifling through the center console.

"I used my card for coffee," Hanna shrugged as they pulled up to the toll booth. Emily sighed, pulling out her purse and digging the wallet out. She opened it, shuffling through her cash before handing Hanna a few singles.

"Alright, money bags. How much did you make in tips last night?" Hanna gasped, handing the money to the toll clerk and speeding off again one the light turned green.

"Almost two hundred," she replied, like it was no big deal, sliding her purse back onto the floor of the passenger's seat.

"Geeze, Em. You make tips like that in North Carolina?" Hanna wondered.

"No way...would you ever tip a 20 at a pizza parlor?"

"If I'd had a couple drinks, and my waitress had your legs I just might," she laughed in response.

"Cut it out," Emily chuckled back, "I'm nervous. Are you nervous?"

"Why would I be nervous? It's a cookout, not a court date. Take a chill pill," Hanna scolded.

"It's a cookout at Paige's parents' house. Her parents are going to be there. Her brothers, and their wives, and all their kids! Everyone who is important to her is gonna be there," Emily rambled.

"Yeah, and you're one of those people you know? Just chill, Em. They're all gonna love you. And you're gonna love them. Paige's dad is hilarious, and her mom is such a sweetie. Her brothers are all funny and nice, and really fucking hot, not that you care about that,"

"You shouldn't either, they're all married," Emily warned, arching an eyebrow at her friend.

"A girl's allowed to look, damn! Her brother Owen? Oh...my...God. Oh but Nathan's sexy too...and Ryan is a fox…"

"Alright, keep it in your pants. This was about me remember?" Emily whined.

"Hey what's the sudden focus on you getting laid anyhow? Kelsey's been going on and on about finding a girl for you. Meanwhile, cut back to Hanna, who hasn't gotten any since St. Patrick's Day. I get it, you guys are the three lesbian musketeers but geeze! Let's get Hanna some action while we're playing matchmaker!" Hanna complained, though she was smirking.

"Well I'm pretty sure an orgy with Paige's married brothers isn't the best place to start. And if you're jealous, go ahead and tell her. I don't need to be set up by my crush's girlfriend,"

"Do you think she knows?" Hanna gasped.

"Knows?"

"Knows you've got the hots for Paige? Maybe that's why she's trying to set you up? So you stop sniffing around her girl?" Hanna wondered aloud.

"I...I don't know...probably not right? I mean, you said it yourself. If anyone gets close to Paige she crushes them. She probably would've slit my throat by now if she knew…"

"That's true…"

"Maybe she has a point though, Han. I mean the other day we talked, and Kelsey told me about how her and Paige got together. How Kelsey was in such a bad place and Paige like, saved her. Paige is her everything. All this time I thought, they're just together cause it's convenient. I thought it wasn't fair that Kelsey got there first because there's no way she loves Paige like I could love Paige. But she does. They love each other. And here I am in this dark place, having a hard time, and Kelsey is like, trying everything she can to make me feel better. She's a good person. She's been nothing but a good friend to me, and all this time I've been praying for Paige to dump her and be with me. I'm horrible," Emily grumbled, staring out the window.

"Alright well, you're being a little dramatic. You aren't horrible Em. We've all been there, and you haven't done anything wrong, really. You have a crush. It's not like you and Paige are hooking up. Just take it easy on yourself and try to have fun today. Kelsey may have the only thing in the world you want right now, but the girl knows how to party," Hanna lectured.

"Yeah you're right. Am I dressed okay? Am I underdressed?" She worried, gesturing to her casual getup, bikini ties showing from underneath her purple tank, and a pair of khaki shorts with flip flops.

"Underdressed for a cookout?" Hanna barked a laugh.

"Good point,"

"Is that your lime green bikini?" Hanna asked with a knowing smile, reaching out and fiddling with the strings resting at the back of Emily's neck.

"Uh...yeah, it was what was clean,"

"Mmmhmm. You know that's Paige's favorite color right?"

"Oh really? How about that?" Emily played dumb, but knew she had been caught. Everything from Paige's cell phone case to the handles on her chef's knives were lime green.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Bout time you get here, kiddo!" Paige's father shouted as she pulled into the driveway and parked. Before she had barely stepped foot out of her Jeep, he had her engulfed in what Paige and her brothers had always jokingly called 'The Dad Lock of Doom'.

It was something Paige always looked forward to when visiting her parents, the way her father always ran outside to greet her, the way he hugged her like she had been gone for decades. Paige, since the moment she was born, had always been the apple of her father's eye. Nick McCullers adored all five of his children, of that, nobody ever had any doubt. But Paige, his youngest child and only daughter, had him wrapped around her finger from day one. He had teared up when the doctor finally announced they had their girl, and flat out sobbed with joy when, bundled in pink blanket and hat, his daughter was placed into his arms.

"Hey dad," Paige giggled as he finally let her go with a kiss to her forehead.

"You're skinny. Your mom's gonna give you hell," he pointed out, making his way to the back of her Jeep and opening the trunk, "Hey ya, Kelsey," he greeted his daughter's girlfriend, who was still perched in the passenger seat, helping navigate a very lost Hanna and Emily over the phone. Without turning around, she threw up a pathetic wave, to which he shrugged and shook his head.

"These them?" he rubbed his hands together, before taking a peek in the large styrofoam cooler taking up most of Paige's trunk.

"That's them. Thirty pounds of baby back ribs, just like you wanted. Don't lift them, I'll go get Nathan,"

"Don't be ridiculous, Paige. I'm 55, I'm not dead. Mom's out back with the kids, go say hi while I drag these in and then we can sauce em up!" he ordered. With a sigh and a smile, Paige grabbed a few lighter bags of chips and things her parents requested from Philly, and some gifts for her nieces and nephews out of the back before making her way around to the passenger side and opening the door, gesturing for Kelsey to follow.

They made their way to the backyard, where a few people were already in the pool, but most were settled in the scattered lawn chairs with drinks. There were two picnic tables already full of snacks and assorted side dishes, and a third crammed with birthday gifts, cards and balloons for Paige, and several coolers filled with sodas, beers and wine coolers.

"There's my birthday girl!" her mother approached from the side of the house, where she had been filling a bucket with water balloons for the kids.

"Hi mom," she smiled, hugging her mother tightly, "think you got enough food?" she laughed.

"You know how your brothers eat. I can never be too safe. Besides, you're taking home the leftovers. Are you alright? Working too much again? You're skinny. You look stressed," her mother observed.

"I'm fine, mom. Work is good, I eat plenty, I sleep, do my laundry, all that," Paige explained with a smile.

"Alright...well sit down and relax, dad got your favorite beer...don't go crazy, but I set up the guest room so you don't have to drive home tonight,"

"Aunt Paige!" she heard from behind her, and before she could react, was being practically tackled by her niece, Lacey.

"Lace! Hey!" she hollered back as she lifted her into her arms, resting her on her hip.

"Happy birthday,"

"Thank you. That's a very nice new bathing suit you have. What happened to the one I got you? With the stars?" Paige wondered.

"Aunt Paige, it's nice but patterns are so last summer. This year is all about solids. Nobody is wearing pattern bathing suits," she explained sassily. Paige shook her head with a chuckle.

"What about your brother Logan over there huh? I see he has his striped bathing suit on…" pointing the child toward her younger brother who was getting set to do a cannonball.

"He wouldn't know fashion if it bit him in the face," the girl pinned Paige with a knowing look.

"Alright then," Paige laughed, "Have you eaten yet? I'm getting pretty hungry,"

"Yeah, I ate a hot dog. Is Hanna coming? You said Hanna was coming," the girl pouted, crossing her arms.

"She'll be here soon. She's bringing someone else I really want you to meet. My new friend Emily. I think you'll like her a lot," Paige explained, setting the girl down.

"Cool. Can I wear your sunglasses? They are on point," the child asked, not even waiting for an answer before peeling them off Paige's face and putting them on her own.

"Sure," Paige laughed, setting her niece down and watching her run off to to continue playing.

"Hanna and Em will be here soon, babe. Did I hear we have a room for the night?" Kelsey asked, wrapping her arms around Paige and stealing a kiss.

"Yes. But we're going to have to be up early tomorrow to get back in town for work," Paige warned.

"We are not getting up before 8. We don't open until 11, you can skip the farmer's market one day,"

"Kelsey…"

"No, hush. We're sleeping until 9, and you're having fun. Where's your dad keep the hard stuff? I'm making you a real drink,"

"I'm not getting wasted, and neither are you. My nieces and nephews are here. I don't want them seeing either of us like that, okay? Please," Paige begged, pulling her girlfriend even closer to get her point across.

Kelsey's drinking was something that had become more of a problem than just a way to blow off steam in the last year or so. Paige hadn't been around when Kelsey lost her mother, but knew that without a father or any siblings in the picture, alcohol was the closest thing to coping Kelsey had ever found. It was something Paige had begrudgingly enabled, knowing that she herself would truly fall apart if she lost her own mother. In the beginning of their relationship, Kelsey had been able to mask it all as one big party. Now, a year and a half into her relationship with Paige, and two years since her mother's death, she could barely roll out of bed without a drink to numb the pain first.

At first, Paige was the only one she talked to about her mother's death. Whenever anyone else at work asked how she was holding up, she played it off like nothing. She was fine, she'd tell them. Sometimes she'd even snap, hating the feeling of everyone waiting for her to fall apart. After work, though, at her apartment or the loading dock of the restaurant or at the lake, with Paige and a bottle of anything, she would do just that.

Paige listened. She never gave advice, never tried to fix it. She knew she couldn't, and it was one of the things Kelsey loved so much about Paige. She listened, which is what nobody else wanted to do. Everyone she knew wanted to poke and prod at her, to be the one to get her to fall apart, and be the one to pick up the pieces. Everyone she knew made her mother's death about themselves. Everyone except Paige. She let Kelsey grieve, let her scream and cry when she needed to, and let her retreat when she needed that as well. Lately, though, Kelsey didn't want to talk at all.

"Relax, I'll keep it classy. Go see your bros," came Kelsey's petulant reply, as she gave Paige a gentle shove over toward where most of the party was taking place.

"Watch out Jordy, the chef's here! You better not be burning those," Paige's brother Nathan teased as he saw Paige approaching, elbowing their oldest brother Jordan, who was flipping burgers on the grill.

"Paigey!" he shouted, tossing the spatula he was holding to the side and lifting his sister off the ground in a bear hug.

"Hey Jordan," she laughed.

"How you doing, sis?" Nathan asked, taking his turn to hug his sister once Jordan put her down.

"I'm fine," she smiled.

"Yeah? What's Kelsey doing here? Owen told me you're hooking up with some super model?" Jordan pried, returning to his grill duties.

"Okay, I'm not hooking up with her...and she's not actually a...she's just...damn it guys, I haven't even had a drink yet," she whined, a blush creeping to her cheeks.

"You want to be hooking up with her though right?" Nathan questioned.

"I...she's...it's complicated. I am still with Kelsey, you know. You guys shouldn't be encouraging me to cheat,"

"We aren't! But if Kelsey made you truly happy, you wouldn't be digging on this supermodel chick so hard,"

"You guys catch the Phillies game last night?" Paige tried desperately to change the subject, turning her attention to the job her brother was doing on the grill. If there was anything that had the power to distract her brothers from girls, if only for a moment, it was baseball.

"Lord have mercy. Is that the girl?" Nathan gasped, pointing across the yard, where Hanna and Emily were just arriving.

"Yeah...wow…" Paige replied dreamily. Emily looked fantastic, as always, a summer dream in her simple tank and shorts, sunglasses pushed up on top of her head. Paige was lost in a trance, her heart racing as she watched her father leading Emily and Hanna to the table of snacks, Emily smiling as he undoubtedly was using his wacky dad sense of humor to make her feel at home.

"Damn it, Paige. You're an idiot. I mean, I love you, but when it comes to girls you're just dumb," Jordan shook his head.

"Excuse you," she scoffed, shoving him playfully, not taking her eyes off Emily.

"Sorry. But a girl like that wants you? And you're saying it's complicated? Dumb," he shrugged with a laugh.

"It is complicated. Yeah, she's beautiful and amazing and we have fun together...but she's also 19 and goes to school in North Carolina. And I have a girlfriend, in case you forgot,"

"Ha! Not to be rude, Paige. But Kelsey and that girl? They're in two different leagues,"

"Yeah, how is that not rude?" Paige shrugged.

"Whatever, you know I'm right. How about a burger?"

"Yeah, I'll take one before you burn them beyond recognition," Paige laughed, handing him a plate.

"Now who's being rude?" Jordan mocked playfully, assembling a burger for his sister and handing it to her with a kiss to the top of her head.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The party was in full swing, Emily enjoying a watermelon margarita, courtesy of Paige's mother and her new Pinterest fascination, as she looked on with a smile. Paige was currently in the pool playing Marco Polo with her nieces and nephews. Insisting that Paige had been peeking, they had tied a bandana over her eyes as a blindfold. Emily couldn't help but laugh as Paige yelled _Marco!_ In an array of silly voices, causing the children to giggle before they'd scatter away as fast as they could. Paige was so great with the kids, it melted Emily's heart. It was the sweetest thing she had ever seen.

Hanna had insisted on hanging out by the ladder ball game to flirt with a friend of Paige's brother Ryan, Kelsey tagging along to be her 'wing woman'. For this, Emily was thankful, she was certain otherwise Kelsey would be trying to force her to talk to girls.

"Hey there," Paige's brother Owen greeted, as he took a seat in the lawn chair next to Emily's, a beer in one hand, a plate of food in the other. He was clad in the Phillies t-shirt Paige had bought at the stadium the other day, one for each of her brothers. Emily had helped pick it out.

"Hi Owen. It's nice to see you again," she grinned.

"You too. Glad you could make it. Did you get enough to eat?"

"Oh, yes thank you. I couldn't eat another bite," she insisted, watching as he dug into his pasta salad.

"Hey, my mom and dad always say, if you leave a McCullers picnic hungry, it's your own fault," he laughed through a mouthful. Emily smiled, seeing a lot of Paige in him. They had the same bright eyes, same cute laugh and dimples.

"I see. I guess that's where Paige gets it from, huh? Taking care of people, feeding them?"

"Probably. Mom always had to have that. She loves these family meals. The more people the better," he explained.

"Your mom is a very nice lady. She reminds me of Paige a lot,"

"Yeah, Paige is kind of her spitting image, huh? That's her girl. Paige is kind of the glue of our family, you know? No matter where we are or what's going on, she keeps us all close. She's all good inside. Salt of the earth," he rambled.

"Yeah. Yeah, I agree. She's incredible. I've only known her two months, and she's already such a great friend to me," Emily replied.

"Yeah. So how long have you had the hots for her?" he questioned casually. Emily took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair, followed by a large gulp of her margarita.

"Is it that obvious?" she winced.

"Yeah kinda. If there's anything my senses are fine tuned to, it's when people have a crush on my sister. Protective instincts I guess," he shrugged with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, I'm not trying to break up her and Kelsey. As much as I may want that...Kelsey's my friend, and I don't want either of them to get hurt. I just have to get over it, somehow,"

Owen set his plate aside and took a pull of his beer, leaning back in the chair and letting out a deep sigh. He gave Emily a compassionate smile, crossing his arms behind his head.

"She thinks she's doing the right thing. Staying with Kelsey. I get it. The girl's been through hell, and Paige wants to fix the world. And it's not that I hate Kelsey, don't get me wrong. None of us, Paige's family I mean, none of us hate her. It's just...I think she takes advantage of Paige. When all my brothers met their wives, we all knew. You get that feeling, like yup. That's the girl he's gonna marry. Everyone knew Brittany and I would be together forever, those guys have been teasing me about it since I was ten. None of us got that feeling when Paige met Kelsey. She's a nice enough girl. But I don't want my sister settling just to make Kelsey's life easier. When I wake up every day, I'm so excited and so happy to see my wife. She's what I think about when I'm working all day, she's...everything. Paigey deserves that,"

Emily smiled at this, her eyes still firmly fixed on Paige as she tried to make her way out of the pool, her nieces and nephews jumping and latching on, dunking her under the water with every few steps she took.

"She's really great with the kids," she surmised.

"Yeah, they love their Aunt Paige,"

Paige finally managed to stay above water long enough to climb the stairs out of the pool, an elated smile on her face as she watched the children go right back to playing happily. Emily was transfixed, Owen almost positive he heard a whimper escape her lips as Paige's perfectly toned abs and shoulders, glistening with the sun's reflection off the water droplets still clinging to her, made her damn near irresistible.

"I think this is where I excuse myself," Owen whispered to Emily, noticing his sister heading their way as she wrapped a fluffy, colorful beach towel around herself. He stood from his chair, gathering his empties to make space for Paige to sit.

"Hey guys! Everyone having fun?" she asked as she approached.

"You bet. Emily and I here were just getting to know each other a little bit," Owen replied, gesturing for his sister to take a seat before shuffling away toward the pool. Emily and Paige both laughed as he emptied his pockets and cast his shirt aside before sprinting ahead, executing his long perfected cannonball into the water.

"Ah. I see my mom got you with one of her special margaritas," she chuckled as she slid into the empty chair.

"Yeah, it's really good. She could've been a bartender,"

"She was. Her and dad owned a bar for years and years. They sold it before they moved out of Philly," Paige explained.

"Really? That's so cool!"

"Yeah. My grandparents owned it since they were like 20. Well, it was kind of a luncheonette back then. Soup and sandwiches and stuff. Plus my grandma's homemade donuts and coffee for ten cents a cup. When they retired my parents bought it, put in a bar, beefed up the menu, and had it for almost thirty years. We all worked there in high school, my brothers and I. Washing dishes, cutting onions, waiting tables. It was a cool place," Paige recalled.

"Wow. So...that's where you got it from? Cooking I mean?"

"Yeah I guess so. I was always around the restaurant, even before I was old enough to actually work. My dad would let me hang out back there with him, I'd stand on milk crates and help him mix things, or pour milk or crack eggs, easy stuff. The older I got the more he taught me. I wanted to take over the restaurant right out of high school, but he wasn't having it. Told me if I wanted to cook, I had to do it right. I had to go to culinary school, be a real chef, make real money. And the rest is history," she smiled.

"It's cool that you were always so sure. I second guess myself like, every week. I have no idea what I want to do, or be,"

"You'll figure it out. You're good at so many things. Whatever you do, you'll be a rockstar," Paige told her, placing a comforting hand on her knee.

"I hope so,"

"You will. Come on, I want to show you something," Paige announced, standing and holding a hand out to help Emily up.

"Where are we going?" Emily questioned, taking the offered hand and letting Paige pull her up.

"For a walk. Just a little down the road,"

"We're leaving?"

"Just for a little bit. Come on,"

Emily smiled, her heart racing as Paige tried to usher her out of the backyard stealthily. She had no idea what Paige was up to, but sneaking off with Paige in any fashion wasn't anything she was prepared to fight.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks again, everyone. This BBQ scene is getting pretty long so I decided to break it up. There's just so much to get to! But I promise more Paily, more Hanna, more of Paige's fam! As always I appreciate your kind reviews and your patience! This was just something I thought might make a fun story one day. Can't believe even one person liked it enough to review, let alone 50+. I am grateful.

It's a cold, rainy night here in PA. Wherever you are, hope this warmed you up some :)


	7. Chapter 7

Hi everyone! As always, thank you for the reviews and kind words…it means so much to me. I love that you guys seem to be so into this story! Sometimes I just can't believe it. I hope you enjoy!

"Hi there Hanna. It's nice to see you again," Paige's mother greeted, wrapping an arm around Hanna's shoulders as she poured herself a glass of lemonade. Since the first time Paige's mother met her, Hanna had been one of her favorite of Paige's friends. If push came to shove, Hanna always knew she had a bed in their home, and a plate at their table. Valerie McCullers was her mom away from mom.

"Hey Mama M! Great picnic. How are you doing?"

"I'm great, honey. All my babies and grandbabies in one place, I'm happy as could be. Glad you could make it, too. How are things? How's your mom?" she queried, beginning to make herself a drink.

"She's good,"

"Good. Tell her I said hello. I'll make sure to pack you up some leftovers for her. Don't let me forget, okay?" she offered.

"Cool, thanks! She'll really like that. I told her to come with me but, this is the first day she's had off in like a month. She kind of wanted to veg out, you know?" Hanna explained. Her mother had taken up real estate recently, hoping to beef up her income a little and help Hanna with college. She was still pretty new, though, and thus spent as much time working and attending seminars as she possibly could, finding herself rushing off to show houses even on her days off.

"I definitely understand that. Back when Nick and I had the bar we'd work like 50 days straight sometimes without a day off. When we'd finally take a Sunday off once in a while, we'd pay the kids off, send them to the movies or a ball game or say, hey! Keep the money in your piggy bank and just be quiet until dinner! Just so we could sleep. I definitely get it," Paige's mother recalled with a laugh.

"Yeah. I mean damn, owning your own business, and five kids? How did you do it?"

"The same way your mom does. Love, honey. The bar was hard work. Constant, back breaking work. But some of my best memories happened there. And my kids…they drove me nuts sometimes, wrestling on the furniture and breaking vases and bickering over the remote… but they are the best things I've done in my life. I wouldn't trade a single sleepless night. A mother's love is the world's most powerful force. I'd kill and die for my kids. Your mom would too. You'll learn one day, when you have kids. Speaking of…anyone special in your world these days?"

"Nobody I'm ready to parent with," Hanna laughed, taking a seat at the picnic table, which was still holding Paige's unopened gifts and untouched birthday cake, Mrs. McCullers following suit, "But I was talking to Ryan's friend Cody over there. He seems nice, I gave him my number. We'll see what happens," she shrugged.

"Cody's a nice guy. He's been palling around with my boys since they were little. Even took Paige to junior prom,"

"Paige went to prom with a guy?" Hanna gasped.

"Junior prom, she did. They were just friends, but he had a crush on Paige for years. This was all before she came out, anyhow. She dated a few guys in high school," Val recalled.

"Wow. Go Paige," Hanna grinned, taking a sip of her drink.

"How is she, Hanna? Really?" she pried.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I know my daughter…and even through the birthday haze, and the excitement of seeing her brothers and her nieces and nephews, I can tell…there's something bothering her. She's got something heavy on her mind. Is everything okay at the restaurant?"

"I…yeah I think so. I mean, she never complains, that's for sure," Hanna shrugged.

"And what about Kelsey? Are her and Kelsey getting along okay?" she wondered.

"As far as I know,"

"So…your friend…Emily…are we all pretending they don't like each other?"

"Damn. You sniffed that out right away huh?" Hanna chuckled.

"I know my daughter," she repeated with a shrug, "and the way my daughter looks at Emily? That goofy, love struck grin is the same grin I used to catch on my husband when we first met. And if Emily's anything like me, she's going to fall for it, hook, line and sinker,"

"The grin huh? That's what got you? When you met Paige's dad?" Hanna played along.

"Absolutely. One day, he's sitting across from me at the bar after a Flyers game, shooting me that grin. Next thing I know, I've got five of his babies, looking and talking and grinning just like him. Didn't even know what hit me," she recalled happily.

"Sounds about right. Emily's a hot mess over Paige," Hanna admitted.

* * *

"What in the world is that supposed to be?" Emily giggled, watching Paige play in the sand.

Their "adventure" had brought them to a small, secluded beach about a mile from Paige's parents' home. There was a dock with a few boats tied to the sides and a loan picnic table. On the far shores were some vacations homes, where Paige and Emily could see families enjoying their own holiday festivities, the clouds of smoke from their BBQ grills reaching high into the sky above the water.

They made small talk while they walked, Emily complimenting Paige's family and her parents' cooking, and Paige asking Emily about her plans for when her dad would arrive home later that week. When they reached the lake, Emily was taken aback by the beauty, excited just to be on a beach for the first time in ages and to feel sand between her toes. The fact that she was here with the sexiest girl she had ever met was one hell of a bonus.

Now, nearly an hour after they had snuck away from the party, they were sitting cross-legged across from each other, working on building a model of Paige's dream restaurant out of sand. It was mostly for fun, but Emily could see the seriousness in Paige's eyes, how badly she wanted her own place, and how long she had thought out every detail. It warmed her heart, but she couldn't help but tease.

"It's my herb garden!" Paige defended with a chuckle, as she lay out carefully constructed patches of onion grass, equally spaced from each other as if it were real.

"So you're gonna have time to tend to a garden, and cook lunch and dinner? Every day?" Emily questioned, though she didn't actually have any doubts.

"That's the only way to do it. And breakfast too," came Paige's reply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Breakfast, lunch and dinner?" Emily gasped with a smile.

"That's the only way to do it," Paige repeated.

"I guess it would be a shame to deprive the world of your waffles,"

"Ha. The waffles are only the beginning. Wait until you see the breakfast plates that come out of this kitchen. Omelettes and French toast made from homemade bread, and big giant stacks of fluffy pancakes… people will come from all around to chow down," Paige bragged, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

"Oh yeah?" Emily laughed, "you see me there too huh?" she asked, not even embarrassed as she would usually be that she was smiling from ear to ear at Paige's fantasy.

"I…well I mean…" Paige gulped, though her smile didn't falter, "I know I can't expect you to work for me forever. But hey, free waffles whenever you visit!"

"Something tells me I'm gonna be really fat if I keep hanging out with you," she laughed in response.

"Please, you have the most perfect body on the planet. My brothers think you're a supermodel for crying out loud," Paige declared, suddenly more focused on her project, terrified to maintain any kind of eye contact.

"That's ridiculous," Emily choked out a laugh, watching Paige's fingers as they manipulated the sand around their creation, "besides, ya'll can't talk. I never saw so many beautiful people in one place before," she finished.

"Ya'll? I think somebody's getting homesick for North Carolina," Paige chuckled.

"Ugh don't say that," Emily rolled her eyes, "I mean sure I like it there, but I can't believe summer's half over already,"

"I hope you know I'm coming to visit you anytime I get time off, and we're gonna scope out all the good barbecue places," Paige told her with a smile.

"I'd love that. I mostly just eat caf food and pizza at work,"

"I have some friends from culinary school that live down south. They'll hook us up," she promised. Emily sighed happily, reaching across their sand model, bravely lacing her fingers with Paige's.

"Em…"

"We should probably head back," Emily whispered.

"Why?"

"For one thing, your brothers are here from all over the east coast to see you. Your mom and dad want to spend time with you. Not to mention the fact that your girlfriend is probably wondering where you are," Emily pointed out. Paige sighed deeply, closing her eyes and squeezing Emily's hand.

"She's probably so drunk she doesn't even know I'm gone. I asked her not to overdo it today. Apparently she thinks that means, 'Yeah, please, do 3 Jagerbombs in front of my mom and then smack my pregnant sister in law on the ass'," Paige rolled her eyes. Emily sighed, stroking Paige's wrist with her thumb. She focused on that movement, back and forth, back and forth, finally pinning Paige with a smoldering look.

"You know I'm not the smoothest when it comes to talking to girls? Hanna always tells me I act like a major dork around girls I like," she admitted with a shy grin, "It comes so naturally for her. She meets a guy she likes, gets his number right away…I've never been that good. But I did okay. Until I met you, anyway. You just…throw me completely off balance. Every time I think I have a handle on it, you shake my whole world up again. You make me special food and sneak me off to beautiful beaches and talk about your plans for the future, like I'm gonna be there too. You leave your girlfriend sleeping in bed to come make me breakfast, and talk about taking time off of work to come visit me at school...am I supposed to keep thinking that's nothing? Should I keep trying to pretend we're not crazy about each other?"

"Em…"

"Just tell me the truth, Paige. Just tell me, one way or another. I just need to know. I can't take it anymore, keeping it inside. I had to tell you, and I need you to tell me," Emily begged, her hands now trembling in Paige's.

Paige squeezed her hands tighter, licking her lips and releasing a shaky breath.

"Em, look at you…you could have any girl you wanted,"

"I want you," she whispered, "so much that I think I'm going crazy. When I first got back home from school I was just a girl trying to make some money over the summer, and catch up on some sleep and have some movie nights and beach days with my best friend…and now I'm a girl who watches cooking shows and baseball, because you love those things, and it makes me feel closer to you. Then I tell myself to just let you be, because you're taken, and I come to your birthday party and meet your family, all of whom can tell how much I like you…all of your brothers telling me how Kelsey's no good for you, and how we'd be cute together…" she rambled.

"You told me you liked baseball," Paige laughed nervously.

"So not the point," Emily chuckled back, "and I do like baseball. Now. Maybe not as much as you, and your brothers. But I like how you're a kid on Christmas morning when you step foot in a baseball stadium. I like that you have a lucky mitt. I like hearing about what a big star you were on the softball team in high school. I like that you get so into the experience that you spend fifty dollars on hotdogs and then get so into the game you don't notice you dribbled mustard down your chin. And I really like how cute you look in a baseball jersey and hat," Emily crooned.

"You saw the mustard dribble and you didn't tell me? Damn, Em! I thought I wiped it off before anyone saw," Paige smirked.

"Ugh, God! You are like the Queen of missing the point today," Emily groaned with a sharp laugh, "I tell you all these things I love about you, and you just act like a big, cute goofball. You know how hard that was?"

"I…yeah. I'm sorry Em. It's hard for me too, though. You know that right? You have to know it's killing me too," Paige admitted, releasing Emily's hands and moving awkwardly around their sand castle to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"So what are you waiting for?" Emily whispered, relaxing into the embrace, even though it felt like her heart was about to come flying out of her mouth.

"You know…Kelsey's not a bad girl, right? I know she's a little rough around the edges but…she's not a bad person," Paige rationalized. Emily wasn't sure if she was trying to convince her or herself.

"Of course she's not bad. You think I want to hurt her? That's part of what makes this so hard. She's been nothing but good to me. And all I've thought about all summer is how to make her girlfriend my girlfriend," Emily whined.

"When we met I was at my highest high and she was at her lowest low," Paige sighed, "That kind of thing is…kind of intoxicating. I was getting high on putting her back together and she was getting high on being with someone who had any kind of control in life. We had a lot of fun, partying a lot and stuff. Eventually though it got old. For me, anyway. She still wants to be that girl. I guess it helps her, I don't know. She's messed up in a bad way and it's only been recently that I've noticed maybe I didn't make things better for her at all. Seems like I made it worse," Paige rambled.

"Paige…you can't fix everything you know? It's not your fault and I don't think you made it worse. You are making things worse for yourself though. Staying in a relationship you're not happy in just to avoid hurting her," Emily pointed out.

"God," Paige laughed, resting her head against Emily's, "didn't Hanna have any ugly, mean friends who needed a job this summer?"

"Are you saying you wish you never met me?"

"Of course not. I just…wish there was an easy way to end things with Kelsey. Even if she took it well…which she won't…dating you right away would piss her off. She'd make your life hell,"

"Yeah I've heard," Emily scoffed, "so where does that leave us? Me, hopelessly wanting you…and you…"

"Me…falling more in love with you by the second. It's not hopeless, Em. Just…don't give up on me, okay? I'll be worth your wait. I promise," Paige whispered.

"You already are," Emily replied with a smile, pressing a kiss to Paige's cheek before breaking their embrace and standing up.

"What are you doing?" Paige chuckled when she caught a glimpse of the devious smirk on Emily's face.

"Giving you a little fuel for your fire," she grinned, shimmying out of her shorts and tossing them aside before peeling off her tank top as well. Paige's jaw hung agape as she openly appraised Emily's bikini body, smooth and toned, with abs that looked like they were carved out of marble and legs that went on for miles.

"I…uh…you…wow…that's…I…" Paige rambled.

"That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say," Emily laughed, feeling for the first time all summer like she might just get her girl, "I'm going swimming. Join me?" she offered, tossing her shirt aside and sauntering toward the water before Paige could even snap out of it.

"Yes please…" she muttered to herself, pushing herself up on shaky legs and following Emily into the water.

* * *

"And just where exactly have you been?" Paige's mother scolded her as she attempted to sneak back into the party.

"Mom! Hey! I uh…went for a walk," she replied.

"Mmhmm. With Emily?"

"I…uh…yeah. We just walked down to the lake. I wanted to show her dad's boat," Paige shrugged, pulling a bottle of water out of the cooler and drinking down half of it in a few large gulps.

"Uh huh. She has a thing for dirty old fishing boats, does she?" she pried.

"What are you getting at mom?" she chuckled nervously.

"I guess I'm wondering why you're sneaking off from your own birthday party with a girl who isn't your girlfriend,"

"I'm not cheating on Kelsey if that's what you're thinking," she defended.

"I didn't say you were. I just think you need to be careful before you hurt someone. Especially yourself," she replied, tucking a strand of damp hair behind her daughter's ear.

"We just talked," Paige sighed, "but yeah. I like her. And she likes me. So can you blame me?"

"Not at all. She's lovely. As are you. Just do it right, Paige. No good ever came from pushing your feelings down or sneaking around, right?" her mother replied.

"Yeah I know,"

"Good. You better eat something, your dad just cooked up the last of the hamburgers and some sausages," she urged, ushering Paige toward the food.

"Mom…I ate a burger already, plus two plates of other stuff. I know you think I'm starving, but I'm fine," Paige laughed.

"Paige. Eat," she repeated, shoving a plate into her daughter's hands, kissing her cheek and heading off to tend to her other guests.

Paige laughed, shaking her head as she assembled herself a sausage sandwich, covering it in hot peppers and sauce before taking a huge bite.

"That's a good look, sis," Paige's brother Ryan laughed, gesturing to the sauce smeared around Paige's mouth. She rolled her eyes, though chuckled at his teasing, reaching for a napkin and wiping at her face.

"Mom is force feeding me like I just got back from war," she told him.

"Sounds about right. To be fair though, you're giving her a lot to fret about. Showing up all tired and stressed, with two chicks," he shrugged, assembling his own sandwich.

"I'm not tired or stressed. And Emily is not a 'chick', so watch it," she warned.

"Sorry. Whatever you say though, mom's really worried about you. We all are. But you know she's not gonna let it go,"

"Yeah. Yeah I know. Don't worry. I'm working on it,"

"Good. You think you're gonna open your presents anytime soon? Your nephew is driving me up the wall for a piece of that birthday cake," he teased.

"Mmhmm. Don't blame your son, mister sweet tooth. I've seen you giving that cake the eye all day," she laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on. Presents and cake, let's go…" he replied, pushing his sister over toward the gift table as she laughed heartily.

* * *

All too soon after the sun had gone down on the party and the last of the fireworks had sizzled through the sky, Paige's brothers had packed up their kids and wives and leftovers, and headed out to their separate hotels. She knew she'd see them again in a few days, when they'd take the kids to Hershey Park, but it was still draining to watch them go.

She was drained, physically from the sun and water and food, and emotionally from spending the day with everyone she loved, and from finally opening up to Emily. She was drained, and yet like so often for her these days, sleep would not come.

Emily and Hanna had headed home after the fireworks, as they had stopped drinking early and sobered up after a few hours and few extra helpings of birthday cake. Kelsey had long since been passed out on the guest bed, snoring to rattle the windows. After Paige had turned her safely on her side, she had gone downstairs, only to find her father still awake, watching TV in the living room.

"Dad?"

"Hey kiddo," he greeted softly, not turning from the screen, "you alright?"

"Can't sleep. What are you watching?" she asked, taking a seat next to him on the couch.

"Iron Chef,"

"Nice. Secret ingredient?"

"Shrimp,"

"Man, talk about a blank canvas. I could come up with a thousand dishes without even trying," Paige replied.

"That's why you should be on this show. My girl could cook circles around these people," he smiled proudly.

"I should be so lucky," she laughed, "could you imagine me, cooking with Alex Guarnaschelli? Bobby Flay?"

"I sure could. I could see you beating them, too. Don't sell yourself short kid. You're a fantastic chef. You're going to do huge things. I'm thinking restaurants on both coasts, maybe a show…maybe your own line of knives? Cooking for the president or celebrities? Sky's the limit for my girl," he rambled.

"Yeah, right," she laughed, "If I can just have one place that does well I'll be happy. It's still a while off, though," she shrugged.

"You'll get there. You want a beer?" he asked, standing up to head to the kitchen.

"No thanks, I have work in the morning,"

"Iced tea it is," he called from the fridge, before making his way back to the couch, tossing a can of iced tea to his daughter. She popped the top and took a sip, watching as her father did the same with his beer. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, and she stopped drinking long enough to pull it out, smiling at the screen.

 _Are you awake? -Em_

 _Yeah. Watchin TV with dad. You get home ok?_

…

 _Yeah. I can't stop thinking about you. (:_

…

 _Me too._

…

…

 _I had a great time today. Thank you for inviting me_

…

 _Of course, Em. I'm glad you were here. I had fun too._

"Who you talkin to there, smiley?" her father teased, snapping her attention away from her phone.

"Um…it's just…it's Emily,"

"Ah. She's really got you mixed up huh?" he mused. She sighed, taking another sip of her drink and putting her phone down next to her on the couch.

"How did you know mom was the one?" she asked.

"Hmm. Probably a few days after you were born," he joked, and Paige barked a laugh.

"Right," she chuckled, "not until after ten years and five kids?"

"What can I say?" he smiled back, reveling in the sound of his youngest child's laughter, "I knew as soon as I saw her. I mean look at her, of course I knew as soon as I saw her. It's not something you can explain or put a label on or justify with words. You just know, you know?" he explained.

"I think I do. So what do I do now? How do I get what I want without hurting someone?"

"Paige…there's always gonna be someone who doesn't like what you do. Don't leave your own heart on the line to protect someone else's," he advised.

"So you would've still went for it with mom, even if it would've hurt someone else? Ripped their world apart?"

He sighed, setting down his beer and pulling his daughter into a hug.

"I would've followed your mom to hell and back, even if Satan himself had a problem with it. There was nothing anybody could've said that would've made me not want to be with her. Nothing else matters more than her, and you and your brothers…write your own story, Paige. The only person you owe anything to is you," he explained, planting a kiss to her forehead. After a few moments and no reply, he looked down, seeing his daughter fast asleep in his arms. He chuckled softly, pressing another kiss to her head, standing to lay her gently across the couch.

"Night, sweetheart," he whispered, covering her with a throw and tucking a pillow under her head, before turning off the TV and lights, heading to bed himself.


	8. Chapter 8

"Talk to me, Paigey. How are things?" Paige's boss Christina bellowed as she charged into the kitchen while Paige was prepping. Without looking up from her cutting board, where she was meticulously cutting slivers of turnip, she sighed.

"Chrissy. I thought you were in South Beach," she muttered in reply.

Christina Giordana was the sole proprietor of Dontana's, and about a dozen other restaurants like it up and down the east coast. She had business smarts and money to burn, with absolutely zero cooking ability whatsoever. She had lured Paige away from her first post-graduation job as a sous chef after hearing the buzz surrounding her, predicting her to be the 'next big thing in Philadelphia cuisine'.

She had lured her with the promise of her own kitchen, run however she liked, full control of the menu and big fat paychecks. Ever since, she had been a thorn in Paige's side, constantly undermining her judgement, humiliating her in front of her staff and making damn sure Paige never forgot who was really in charge. Their whole relationship was one giant power struggle. She was definitely not in the mood for her today.

A few days had passed since Paige's birthday party, with Emily taking some time off to spend with her family upon her father's return. Paige was trying her hardest to stay busy, not at all upset that she was hardly hearing from Emily, but definitely missing her.

She hadn't yet summoned the courage to break things off with Kelsey, but things had hardly been harmonious between them since the party either. The hangover Kelsey suffered afterward had plagued her for at least two days, and Paige had made her displeasure known. She knew it wasn't fair, suddenly lashing out at Kelsey for behavior that had always been, but she couldn't help it. There was greener grass waiting for her, and she was really starting to resent her situation.

"I was. I was having the time of my life too, drunk on the beach with a twenty-two-year-old named Tony, and you know what fucking happened?"

"You remembered you're forty-five and decided to leave him alone?" Paige deadpanned.

"No, you cocky little shit. What happened was my phone rang. An old friend of mine, Courtney Calloway,"

"From Philly Gourmet?" Paige finally looked up, arching an eyebrow, "Is she coming here?"

"She already did. Came for lunch with her sister a few days ago. Said she had the swordfish and she wanted to come back here and kiss you on the mouth. _And_ she almost took Emily right off our hands, she fuckin loved the kid! How in the fuck did you not tell me any of this?"

"Uh…honestly, I didn't even know she was here. But I'm glad she was happy,"

"Happy. Ha. Paigey. She wants to do a piece,"

"A piece? Like a review? She's reviewed this place before," Paige reminded her.

"A piece like an expose. A 'hot chefs in the city' sort of thing. She wants to interview you, pick your brain, photo shoot, the whole thing. Next Saturday, she's coming in for dinner, and then she's going to take you out, get you all liquored up and you're going to tell her everything she wants to know," she explained.

"Photo shoot? She's doing a story on me? Not the restaurant, me?" Paige gasped.

"You represent this restaurant, Paige. Don't get a big head. This is about publicity, and if I didn't think it would put asses in those chairs I would've told her to fuck off," she warned.

"Wow, charming," Paige rolled her eyes, getting back to work.

"Don't forget who put you on the map, sweet cheeks," Chrissy stuck a finger in Paige's face, which she quickly backed away from.

"Sounds like it was Emily," Paige quipped.

"Listen you little smartass, I don't know why you think you can talk to me like this, but it ends now. I made you and I can damn sure break you, and the only thing you'll be cooking is tacos on the side of the road. You're going to be a pro, you're going to cook your ass off, and you're going to give her whatever she wants. If she wants you to hand feed her her meal, you do it. If she wants to fuck you, you do it. You talk us up, you make her happy. And make absolutely fucking sure Emily is within ten feet of her at all times. Understand?"

"Fine. Is that all? Boss?" she replied, getting back to her work once more.

"Make me a salad. I'll be in the office, doing payroll," she ordered, as she sauntered off.

"Coming right up," Paige rolled her eyes, and wiping her hands off on her apron before heading toward the walk in fridge for ingredients. Before she began gathering, she pulled out her phone and opened a blank text.

 _Hey! I hope you're having fun with your dad. I don't want to interrupt so feel free to ignore this, but I had to tell you! One of your customers the other day was a big time food writer here in the city, and she loved you! She called Chrissy and wants to come back next weekend to eat again and write a piece on me! It wouldn't have happened if you weren't you so thank you! I'm so excited…but also Chrissy is a jerk and I miss you. End rant. (:_

She shoved her phone back in her pocket and began scoping out ingredients, grabbing an assortment of lettuce, plump tomatoes, onions and carrots. She piled them on a pushcart, searching for some herbs and citrus to create a dressing, startled when her phone dinged with a message. She smiled, pulling it out quickly.

 _That's incredible! I'm sure it had everything to do with your food, though, not me! What's her name? Can I google her?_

…

 _Courtney Calloway, and yeah she's pretty famous. This is huge!_

…

…

 _I remember her! She left me like a $75 tip! I didn't know she was a critic_

…

 _Told you she loved you (: This wouldn't be happening without you. I don't know how I'll ever repay you_

…

 _Make me waffles lol_

…

 _I'll do you one better. Bring your parents in tonight. Dinner, on me._

…

 _No way! You just said Chrissy's already being a jerk to you._

…

 _So? She'll get her money, she can just take it out of my check. Don't sweat it, she's your biggest fan right now. Well, second biggest (;_

 _You sure?_

 _Absolutely. Seven too late?_

…

 _Nope. It's perfect. Mom made a huge breakfast so we won't be hungry for hours._

 _Great. Can't wait. I gotta get going, the Queen wants a salad and I'm way behind on lunch prep._

…

 _K. See you later! Have a good day_

Paige smiled, letting out a sigh as she slid her phone back into her pocket. She finished gathering her ingredients, making her way back out into the kitchen. Hanna was just walking in, heading toward the timeclock when Paige began assembling the salad.

"Hey Han!" she greeted.

"Paigey Waigey! What up?"

"Not much. You hungry? I'm making a salad for Chrissy, I'd be happy to whip up two," she offered.

"Mmm sounds good! Thanks!"

"You bet. Hey listen, I just talked to Em. She's bringing her parents in for dinner tonight. Make sure you leave table 14 free for seven o clock. And have Angie open up a nice Merlot for them around 4ish, so it can breathe for a bit," she instructed.

"Coolio! Don't worry, Paigey. Pam and Wayne are hella cool," Hanna assured her.

"I have no doubts. Still, I want to show them a nice evening. It's the least I could do for one of my best employees," she shrugged.

"And the girl you're madly in love with?" Hanna pried. Paige chuckled through a shaky breath, layering out sliced carrots on both of the salads she was assembling.

"That too. You guys have been chatting huh?" she guessed.

"Sure, she tells me everything. But I already knew, Paigey. I didn't want to get her hopes up, but I knew. I'm just glad she finally talked to you, instead of making me pass a note back and forth to you or something," Hanna laughed.

"Is she alright? She's being really patient with me. I hope she knows I appreciate it," Paige mused as she rapidly chopped garlic, tossing it into a mixing bowl.

"She wants to jump your bones. But she gets it," Hanna explained, "what about Kelsey though? What's up with her?" Hanna wondered. As happy as she was that Emily and Paige had talked, and acknowledged their mutual attraction, it didn't change the fact that she'd soon have a heartbroken friend to look after.

"I…I hate that I have to hurt her, Han. I really do," Paige defended, "but it's over. It's been over for a long time, before Emily even showed up. I know what being in love looks like. I watched all my brothers fall in love with their wives, I've watched my dad treat my mom like a queen my whole life, looking at her like he was ready to follow her anywhere. It's easy, it's fun…it's not supposed to feel like you're struggling to hold it together. Like you just hang on to get through another day. I don't go home after work, excited to see her. I go home after work, wishing I was going home to Emily," Paige admitted.

"Damn," Hanna gasped.

"I know. I'm fucking awful," she groaned, slicing fiercely through a couple of oranges before squeezing the juices into the bowl and beginning to whisk her ingredients together

"You aren't. You can't help who you love, Paigey. And if it's really been over as long as you say, she has to know on some level. I mean she asked you to move in, you said no. I'm surprised it didn't end then and there," Hanna mused.

"Me too. My worry is the Emily of it all. They're friends. She's going to feel attacked on all sides,"

"Hmm yeah I guess you have a point. Don't worry, though. Even if she ends up hating you two, she'll still have me,"

"Thanks, I think…" Paige laughed.

"I just mean I'll be there for her. You and Em, too. But I won't let her wig too hard. You do what you gotta do, I'll be waiting in the wings with ice cream and wine and chick flicks," Hanna replied, and Paige nodded with a smile. She finished off the two plates of salad, drizzling the dressing on each evenly.

"Here ya go, garden salad with orange ginger vinaigrette," she announced, sliding one of the plates across the counter to Hanna, "you know you guys all say I'm the like the center of our group? But I think that's you. You're what keeps us all together," she finished with a wink.

"Yeah well," Hanna shrugged, immediately digging into her food, "I don't like to brag,"

* * *

"Wow. Fancy place," Wayne Fields observed as he pulled into the parking lot of Dontana's, "you sure I didn't need a tie?" he asked Emily, eyeing her in the rear view mirror with a smile as he parked.

"I'm sure dad. Just the coat is perfectly fine," she replied.

"I just want to make a good impression. This girl sounds pretty special,"

"She is. But she won't care whether you have a tie on, dad. She'll be busy, you know, cooking?" Emily explained, nervously smoothing out her dress, one she had went out and bought special for dinner right after she had gotten the invite from Paige. She had tried on every single thing in her closet, some twice, before discarding them all into a crumpled pile on her bed and begging her mother to take her to the mall. Paige would no doubt be pulling out all the stops to impress her and her parents, and Emily wanted to reciprocate by looking flawless.

"You look great honey," Emily's mother commented, noticing the nerves etched all over her daughter's face, "you both do. Let's go on in now, I'm hungry,"

The three of them made their way to the entrance, Wayne holding the door open for his wife and daughter and then entering behind them. Hanna was perched at her hostess station, making a reservation over the phone, smiling at the sight of them and waving excitedly.

"Yes that's correct, we're closed on Sundays. Yes. Yes mam. Saturday we have pretty wide open. 5:15? Sounds great, we'll see you then! Thank you!" she hung up, coming around the podium to greet them properly.

"Hi Em! Hi guys! Welcome home, sir!" she exclaimed, giving each one of them a hug.

"Thank you Hanna. We're a little early, hope that's okay,"

"Pshh, of course. I mean, uh…not a problem sir. The chef has our finest table reserved for you, right this way," she grabbed 3 menus from the stand and ushered them into the dining room.

"Han," Emily giggled at her friend's sudden seriousness.

"Just tryin to keep it profesh, Em. Here we are. Justin will be your server this evening. Can I get you something from the bar while you take a look at the menus?" Hanna offered.

"Justin? What happened to Kelsey? This is usually her section," Emily wondered.

"Paige had me change the rotation after lunch today. I'm not sure that's going on. So…drinks? The chef has a nice Merlot picked out special, it's been breathing for a few hours,"

"That sounds great," Pam smiled before turning her focus to her menu.

"Alright but just one glass for me Hanna. I've got precious cargo tonight," Wayne winked.

"Me too," Emily agreed.

"Eh eh, she'll have soda, Hanna," Pam cut in, arching an eyebrow at her daughter.

"Mom…" she whined in protest, "just a small glass? Paige picked it out special,"

"Half a glass won't hurt," Wayne chimed in, "but soda or water after that,"

"Coming right up. Justin will be over to go over the specials with you. I'm going to run back to the kitchen and let Paige know you're here, and I'll be right back with your wine. PS, Em, you are _killing it_ in that dress girl," Hanna winked before sauntering off toward the kitchen.

"Everything looks so good, what are we thinking?" Wayne asked as he perused the menu.

"It's all good, dad. Paige couldn't make a bad plate of food if she tried," Emily pointed out, a smile creeping onto her face at the thought of Paige back in the kitchen, chopping and stirring and sautéing up a storm to impress her and her family.

"Hi there folks…oh, hey Em!" Justin, their waiter greeted as he made his way to their table.

"Hi Justin. Mom, dad this is my friend Justin, one of the waiters here. These are my parents," Emily introduced, smiling as he shook their hands.

"Very nice to meet you both. I hope you don't mind me taking care of you, since our best waitress has the evening off," he joked with a wink at Emily. She smiled bashfully, her father patting her knee with a proud grin.

"We have quite a few specials tonight. We have burgundy braised short ribs served with a sweet potato puree and pan roasted Brussel sprouts. We also have a stuffed scallop, pan seared and then broiled with jumbo King crab and artichokes, a bacon wrapped filet mignon with a parmesan garlic butter, grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes, and a lovely Chilean sea bass, grilled and served with a mango chipotle mustard. It's spicy and sweet, it's delicious. All of the above comes with a bowl of your choice of soup, tonight we have our signature roasted carrot bisque or turkey and wild rice with spinach, as well as salad and bread. Would you like a few minutes, could I put in an appetizer for you?" he rattled off, pulling out his pad and pen.

"I'll have the sea bass," Emily said with a smile, "is that new?"

"Chef McCullers just added it to the menu this afternoon. For your soup and dressing for your salad?"

"Uh…the carrot bisque and the strawberry vinaigrette. You should try that, mom. Paige makes it with fresh strawberries, it's sooo good," Emily suggested.

"That sounds good, sweetie. I will try that, and the stuffed scallop, please," Mrs. Fields decided, folding her menu and setting it down.

"Soup?"

"Um, I will try the turkey and rice,"

"Great. And you sir?"

"I will have the short ribs, with the turkey soup as well. Bleu cheese for the salad, if you have," Emily's father ordered.

"We do. Also homemade by the chef. I'll go get this in for you, and I believe miss Hanna will be right back with your drinks. Just holler if you need anything at all," he winked, taking their menus and scampering off to enter their orders.

"You're pretty popular around here huh Emmy?" Wayne observed.

"I guess…Justin's just a sweetheart, that's all," she shrugged.

"Yeah well, so is my baby girl," he commented, leaning over and pressing a kiss to the side of her head, "so happy to be home,"

* * *

"I just punched in the last order," Kelsey announced as she approached Paige at the stove, "two swordfish and a filet,". Things were starting to unwind out front, but Paige was still slammed with orders, and much like she expected, hadn't been able to break out of the kitchen for even a second to see Emily and meet her parents. She was sure by the time she got the last plates out, they'd be long gone.

"Thanks Kels," Paige replied, hurriedly chopping parsley and sprinkling it into a pan filled with pasta and expertly tossing them together with a few fluid turns of her wrist.

"So…how about we have a night in? Pick up some Thai food? Rent a few movies? Clothes optional?" Kelsey offered quite desperately with an almost pathetic grin.

"We can get whatever you want, but I don't have time for movies tonight. I gotta start working on a menu for Courtney Calloway," Paige explained.

"You have to do that tonight?" she whined.

"Yes. It has to be perfect,"

"She already likes your food, Paige. And you have a whole week. What's going on with you?"

"A lot, okay? A lot is going on with me. I can't talk right now, Kels. I'm working. And so are you. Please," Paige begged with an exasperated sigh.

"Fine. Let me know when you're free, your majesty. Or better yet, let me known when you're done punishing me for the party. I'll be out front, watching Justin rack up the tips from all my regulars, just like you wanted," she shot back.

"Hey, knock it off okay? You're still making tips. I have to switch things up, get a different perspective on things top to bottom. Courtney Calloway is coming. She can make or break me, why don't you see how huge that is?" Paige retaliated, still concentrating too hard on her plating to look Kelsey in the eye.

"Right, and taking me out of the section I've had for a year on the exact night Emily brings her parents in to sit there is career defining how?" she questioned, crossing her arms. Paige sighed deeply, wiping the sweat above her brow onto the sleeve of her jacket and finally looking up.

"Kelsey…"

"Nope, don't worry about it, Paige. I'll get back to work so you can keep being pissed at me. Think real hard though, when you're telling everyone how I embarrassed you by getting so drunk at the party, try to remember where you were. Because there's two sides to that story and you know it," she scolded before storming out of the doors.

"Damn it…" Paige sighed, setting two plates up on the counter for pick up, "table 8 is up! Is somebody on that last ticket?" she hollered, facing her staff.

"I got it chef," her sous chef announced from beside her at the other end of the counter.

"Thanks Greg. I'm taking five," she sighed, hoping by any miracle that Emily would still be there, and also that she didn't look too much of a mess to meet her parents. Regardless, she smoothed out her jacket and united the food-stained apron folded around her waist, tossing it across the kitchen toward the door for the dirty linen bin. She released one last shaky breath, and before she could press her weight against the door two swing it open, it swung toward her instead.

"Woah, Paige!" it was Emily, and she clutched her chest, startled at almost knocking Paige unconscious on the other side of the door, "I'm sorry, are you okay?" she gasped.

"Hey! Yeah, I'm fine! I was just coming out to see you guys, was everything alright?" she replied, taking Emily by the wrist and pulling her fully into the kitchen, letting the door swing closed.

"It was amazing. I had the sea bass, it was so good! Did you just add that today? I loved it, it was spicy and sweet…" Emily rambled.

"Yeah, just trying out some different stuff. I was hoping you'd order that. It was really good?"

"It was perfect," Emily beamed.

"And your parents? They enjoyed everything?"

"Of course they did. Mom wants the recipe for your strawberry salad dressing," Emily admitted. Paige nodded, though she was too busy admiring Emily's dress at this point to form a coherent response.

"Hey," Emily whispered, tilting Paige's chin up so their eyes would meet again, "is everything okay? I just saw Kelsey stomp out of here. And she's barely said two words to me since we sat down," she told her. Paige sighed, pulling Emily off to the side, into the dry goods closet.

"She's pissed I switched sections. And I'm pretty sure she knows about the party," Paige shrugged.

"What party?"

"My birthday party. She knows we were gone, she knows I snuck off with you," Paige clarified.

"Okay…well did you think she didn't? Everyone noticed we were gone, Paige. It's not like we did anything," Emily replied.

"I know that. I have to talk to her…" she sighed.

"Yeah. Well I'm not going to argue with you there," came Emily's reply from behind a snarky grin.

"What's that mean?" Paige chuckled back.

"It means…stop sneaking me off to beaches and closets full of rice, telling me that you have to talk to Kelsey, and just talk to her,"

"I…I will. I'm going to. After work, I promise,"

"Good. I should get going, my parents are waiting. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," Emily crooned, pulling Paige in for a hug.

"I'm okay," Paige whispered, melting into the hug, "you smell amazing," she sighed, nuzzling into Emily's neck and breathing deep.

"Thanks. You smell like garlic," Emily grinned.

"Hey!" Paige whined, pulling away from the hug and pouting at Emily, before taking a whiff of the collar of her chef's coat and wincing in agreement.

"I never said it wasn't sexy," Emily laughed.

"Yeah, yeah," she chuckled back.

"I gotta go. Text me later?" Emily asked. She was now fiddling with the stray hairs that had come untucked from the purple bandana tied tightly around Paige's head.

"I will. It might be late though,"

"I don't care. Thank you for dinner, chef. It was amazing," she replied, kissing Paige on the cheek and exiting the closet.

"Bye…"

* * *

A few hours later, by the time the rest of the staff had cleaned up and been long gone, and Paige was finally making her way out the back door, she was exhausted. Her eyes felt heavy and her legs and back ached, and she longed for a hot shower and her bed.

She switched the last of the kitchen lights out, her chef's coat slung over her shoulder and knife bag tucked under her other arm as she made her way out the door to the loading dock, where Kelsey was sitting alone, her legs dangling over the side.

"Kelsey? I thought you left…" Paige announced as she locked the door behind her. Kelsey took a drag of the cigarette in her left hand, not bothering to look up from her cell phone.

"My car won't start," came her reply. She picked up the small bottle of rum that had been resting next to her hip and took a long swig.

"Where'd that come from? The bar?" Paige shook her head, taking a seat next to her.

"Don't worry. I left twenty bucks on Chrissy's desk. It wasn't even full anyhow," she deadpanned. She held the bottle out to Paige, Paige holding up her hand to decline.

"Right, I forgot. I'm an alcoholic, and you're a saint. At least that's how your family sees it right? And Emily?"

"Kels…"

"Are you going to drive me home or what?" she cut her off.

"I think we need to talk," Paige started. Kelsey took another drag of her cigarette and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah? So you finally grew a backbone huh?" she chuckled dryly.

"Kelsey, come on,"

"Paige you're not as discreet as you think you are. And I'm not as dumb as you think I am. In case you forgot every important person in my life turns their back on me at some point. I've learned what it looks like,"

"It's not like that, Kelsey. I don't want to hurt you," Paige replied.

"Did you fuck her? When you guys ran off at the party?"

"No. Kelsey I didn't cheat on you. I swear. And I wanted to make this work, you have to believe that. We just…we're different people…we bring out the worst in each other, don't you see that?" Paige pleaded.

"You didn't feel this way until Emily showed up,"

"Don't blame this on Emily. This is about me and you," Paige sighed. Kelsey took one last drag of her cigarette, tossing it far into the parking lot, the ashes scattering along the pavement as it landed.

"I'm not blaming Emily," she replied, taking another swig from the bottle, "it's not her fault you're a fucking pervert,"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means she walked in here, looking like something off the cover of Vogue, and you just couldn't help yourself," she hissed.

"I told you I didn't cheat on you,"

"Maybe not physically. But the sneaking off and the fucking breakfast club bullshit? You think I didn't know what was going on?" Kelsey replied.

"I…I guess I thought you didn't care,"

"Of course I fucking cared. I wake up to an empty bed damn near every day, and eat a cold Pop tart in the car on the way to work, only to roll up and find you and Em eating pancakes and all kinds of fancy shit. At first it was just…whatever. But then, I'm standing at a party, surrounded by your family, and you just ghost. You go God knows where with Emily, instead of God knows where with me. And you wonder why I got so wasted. Do you know how embarrassing that was?" she whined.

"I…I'm sorry. I know it wasn't fair. None of it. I'm sorry," Paige whispered.

"You used to sneak off with me. Remember? We would go out to your car and make out between lunch and dinner? Or the times we would call Chrissy and play hooky and drive to the shore for the day? We'd sit on the beach all day then go up to the boardwalk…get those giant slices of pizza and then you'd always win me the giant box of M&M's from the balloon dart game? We'd stick them in the cooler so they'd be nice and frozen to eat on the drive home. It wasn't all bad," Kelsey recalled, an angry tear rolling down her cheek.

"I remember," Paige replied, catching the tear with her thumb, and Kelsey pulled away.

"So uh…" she choked out a chuckle, "let's skip ahead to the cliff notes. We're breaking up,"

"Yeah…Kelsey for what it's worth I'm sorry…"

"Don't be a pussy Paige. You're breaking up with me, just own it," she spat back.

"I still want to be friends," she shrugged.

"Right well…I need some time. Like really, need some time away from you. Like if I could have the rest of the week off that would be great," she chuckled. The tears were falling freely now and Paige felt like she was going to throw up just watching the girl try to hold it together.

"Yeah, of course. I'll talk to Chrissy, take all the time you need. I'll get somebody to cover your shifts. I'm sure Em wouldn't mind coming back a few days early," she tried to console her.

"Yeah, well look at that. She's just plugs into all the holes in your life doesn't she?" she snarked.

"Kelsey, I'm sorry…I didn't mean…" she sighed, and Kelsey held out a hand to stop her.

"I'm gonna go," she whispered, hopping down off the loading dock with bottle in hand, turning back to reach up and gather the rest of her things.

"Let me give you a ride," Paige offered, following suit and hopping down herself.

"No thanks. I'm gonna walk. I'll take care of the car tomorrow," she replied.

"You can't walk alone at night. It's twenty blocks," Paige reminded her.

"So I'll walk over to the bar and call Hanna for a ride. Ok? I'm fine, just…good night Paige," she responded. She took a step toward Paige, pulling her in by the straps of her tank top and kissing her fiercely, but quickly, one last time before turning away from her and making her way out into the night.


	9. Chapter 9

Hi everyone! First off, as always, I want to thank all of you who read, review, follow, favorite, etc. It means so much to me and I still can't believe people are so into this story!  
I wanted to give everyone some Paily cuteness today, so I hope you enjoy! This chapter is my thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story, and for all the kind words you leave me that keep me motivated! Thank you!

* * *

By the time Sunday rolled around, Paige had never been so grateful for a day off. After ending things with Kelsey, she had hardly been able to sleep, though that hadn't stopped her from working her normal hours and then some. Aside from her shifts at the restaurant, she had been cooking up a storm at home as well, working like crazy to come up with a good menu for her upcoming interview. While usually her boss would limit menu changes to an appetizer here, or an entrée swap there, these were extraordinary circumstances, and Christina had granted Paige full control over their menu for the occasion. She was grateful, but driving herself mad knowing she, herself, was her only limitation when it came to impressing Courtney Calloway.

There were plates and Tupperware containers scattered all around her apartment, some dishes she swore weren't even close to good enough, and others she'd set aside to heat up and give a second try later. She'd driven almost an hour out of the city the night before, to the only twenty- four-hour market she knew, and spent several hundred dollars on ingredients for every type of dish she could think of. It was as if she were training for a title fight, adrenaline nearly all she had left to give. Now, at eight in the morning, running on zero sleep and seven cups of coffee, her countertops and table were covered in everything from clams casino to grilled shrimp skewers to a creamy pumpkin soup. She was well beyond the point of exhaustion, but she pressed on until there wasn't a clean pan left to cook with.

As she pulled a sizzling hot vegetable lasagna, topped with thick slices of tomatoes and golden brown bubbling cheese, out of the oven, she considered taking a break. Her laundry had been piling up, and a shower wouldn't have been out of the question either. Plus, she had really wanted to at least talk to, if not spend some time with Emily today. They hadn't talked much since Paige and Kelsey had broken up, Paige having asked Emily for just a few days to unwind from it all. Emily happily obliged, wanting Paige to be nothing but her goofy, happy self, and figuring she needed a few days to just be single and catch her breath. She knew Paige was struggling with a bit of guilt over how things had happened, and super stressed about the magazine article. Still, Paige guessed Emily was probably climbing the walls at this point to see her.

She set out to make a fresh pot of coffee, and before she could make her way to the shower, there was a knock at her door.

"What the…" she muttered, pressing 'Brew' on the coffee machine, wiping her hands off on one of the discarded towels in her kitchen, and shuffling over to the door. She took a glance through the peep hole, instinctually heeding the warning her father and brothers had given when she'd finally moved out on her own, a confused smile spreading across her face at the sight of Emily on the other side. Hurriedly she turned the lock on the knob and undid the deadbolt, throwing the door open.

"Hi," she greeted, taking in the sight of her. She looked fantastic, Paige's polar opposite at the moment, obviously freshly showered and well rested, sporting a simple t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. Paige looked down at herself, frowning at her tank top and underwear, cursing herself for not thinking to throw on a pair of pants before she answered the door.

"Hey…are you alright?" Emily asked. It was obvious Paige hadn't slept. She looked frazzled and exhausted.

"I…yeah…I've been cooking…" she replied, running a hand through her messy hair.

"How long have you been up?" Emily wondered.

"I…I haven't gone to bed yet. Come in," she insisted, taking Emily by the arm and pulling her into her apartment, closing the door behind her.

"I like the palm trees," Emily joked, gesturing to Paige's underwear.

"It's laundry day," she shrugged, hoping the blush creeping to her cheeks wasn't too obvious, "which I'll have to take to the laundromat because the landlord still hasn't gotten someone in to fix the washers," she groaned.

"That's nuts. Why don't you bring it to my house? My mom won't care," Emily offered.

"I'm not going to run up your water bill. I seriously have like 4 loads, I haven't done it in two weeks," she admitted sheepishly.

"She wouldn't mind. When I came home for the summer I had two suit cases full of laundry. I think she was just happy to have it to do again," Emily chuckled.

"My mom's the same way. She puts Tide pods in my Christmas stocking every year. As if buying the detergent is the part I hate about doing laundry," Paige laughed, "have you eaten? You want some breakfast?" she offered, opening her fridge and cringing after she realized she didn't have much to offer besides white wine, hot sauce and some old Chinese food.

"No…I think you've cooked enough for the day," Emily replied, glancing around at all the test dishes scattered around Paige's kitchen.

"You can try whatever you like…just…experiments," she shrugged.

"How about you go get ready and pack up your laundry…we'll go out for breakfast and then over to my house," Emily suggested.

"Em…"

"Gosh you're stubborn. I'm trying to take you on a date, just let me," Emily laughed.

"A date?" Paige questioned.

"Yeah. Is that okay?"

"Yeah…yeah it's okay. I…I need like, twenty minutes to shower and stuff," she replied. She was exhausted, yet somehow refreshed just being around Emily for a few minutes.

"Go ahead. I can wait," Emily smiled, taking a seat at Paige's very cramped dining room table.

"K. Twenty minutes," Paige promised, scampering off down the hallway toward the bathroom. Emily smiled as she watched her go, and turned back to the mess of a kitchen with a sigh, before settling in front of the kitchen sink and soaping up a sponge.

* * *

By the time Paige's towering breakfast was placed in front of her, her stomach rumbled with hunger, her brain only seeming to just realize she hadn't put much besides coffee and a few taste tests into it in at least two days. She had been too stressed and too preoccupied to actually prepare herself a meal, or even hit a drive-through for a quick bite, but here, in Becky's Diner with Emily, her stress and obligations seemed light years away.

She had chosen "The Breakfast Belly-Buster", an excessive combination usually meant to aid in curing a hangover, and was now staring down several plates of scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, sausage and three golden brown blueberry pancakes piled high and covered in powdered sugar.

Emily couldn't help but chuckle to herself, the veggie omelet and rye toast she had selected seeming menial next to Paige's feast, as she watched her smother her pancakes in syrup and begin cutting them apart.

"How did you know I love this place?" Paige asked, shoveling a forkful of pancakes into her mouth, her eyes fluttering closed in pleasure at the taste.

"Just lucky I guess," Emily chuckled as she sipped her coffee. She was on her second cup, wheras Paige had opted for chocolate milk and orange juice, deciding she had had enough caffeine for the day. "My dad used to take me here when I was little after my basketball practices on the weekends," Emily continued with a shrug.

"You played basketball?" Paige asked, intrigued, through a mouthful.

"Still do…just something to keep me in shape for swimming. Well, that and scholarships. I wanted to quit in high school but my swimming didn't get me quite enough scholarships to be able to afford UNC… the athletic director added another three grand a year to my scholarship if I played basketball, too," Emily explained.

"That's so cool. I played for a few years in middle school. I wasn't that good, though. Took a bad fall one game and busted my elbow up pretty good. Dad and I decided after that I should pull out, because softball was most important, and if I would've fell the other way it would've been my pitching arm I fucked up, you know?" Paige replied, washing down her last giant bite with a few large gulps of juice.

"Yeah…so you played softball since you were little?" Emily wondered, happy to just see Paige relaxing and talking about something other than her upcoming interview.

"Mmm…mmhmm," she nodded, taking a bite of her potatoes, "my brothers were all in baseball as kids, so by the time I was old enough I was all about it,"

"Were you always the pitcher?"

"When I got older, yeah. In little league I played third base, but our pitcher had to miss a game to get her tonsils out, and they put me there. I was so freakin nervous I almost quit the team. But I ended up striking out six girls and we won the game. After that my dad worked on pitching with me all the time. I fell in love with it," she recalled.

"That's awesome. Was your dad your coach?"

"Nah…he actually was the assistant coach for the boy's team when Owen and I were in high school. Owen pitched, too. He was really freakin good. He had scouts watching him his sophomore year," Paige explained as she shook her head with a proud smile.

"I love how close you guys are, you and all your brothers. It was really fun spending time with all of you last weekend," Emily admitted.

"I knew you'd like them. My brothers are the best guys in the world," Paige beamed.

"What do they all do? Owen coaches baseball right?" Emily asked. Though she had spent time with all of them at some point, they had mostly talked about Paige, or Emily's experiences in North Carolina, or asked Emily what her father did in the military.

"Yup. He was coaching high school, but he just got a job coaching for a college team. He has a teaching degree too, in math. Ryan is a contractor, he mostly does building inspections for the city, but he could build a house with his bare hands I swear. When my parents moved to Jersey, he put in their hardwood floors and their pool practically by himself. He just gets that stuff, you know? Jordy and Nathan both work in advertising. They're working on opening their own firm, actually, because Jordy could sell anything to anybody, and Nate's like super artistic, they'd be the perfect team…but they'll probably wait until the kids get a little older," she rambled, finishing off her juice, "I'm sorry, I talk way too much," she finished with a laugh.

"I asked," Emily shrugged with a smile. She took a sip of her coffee as her phone vibrated on the table next to her plate. She picked it up and grinned at the message.

"My mom wants you to have dinner with us tonight," she announced, typing a quick reply and putting her phone back down.

"Really? Okay…well we'll have to stop at the store…" Paige began, Emily quickly stopping her by placing a hand over her own.

"You aren't cooking, goofball. It's your day off. My dad has to go back to Texas on Tuesday and mom's making a nice Sunday dinner. I already asked her about your laundry and she said it's fine, as long as we hang out at the house today. They want to meet you, get to know you. Especially my dad, before he goes away for God knows how long again," Emily explained, fiddling with their hands until their fingers were laced atop the table.

"Okay…what…I mean…what am I meeting them as?" Paige wondered.

"What do you mean?"

"Like…mom, dad, this is my…blank, Paige…what's the blank?" she shrugged.

"Mm…I'm not so good with fill in the blanks," Emily laughed, "you just got out of a long relationship…I'm going back to school in a month…so let's keep it simple for now, okay?" Emily suggested.

"I…okay…sure,"

"You have nothing to be nervous about. There's no pop quizzes, no trick questions. Just be you. There's no way that could go wrong," Emily smiled.

"What about this?" Paige groaned, gesturing down to her outfit. It was the last thing she had left clean, an old Bon Jovi t-shirt, faded jeans and the new lime-green slip on Converse she had gotten for her birthday. Emily eyed the outfit for about the fifth time that morning and grinned.

"You look cute as ever. Don't worry so much,"

* * *

"Mom! Dad, we're here!" Emily hollered as she pulled Paige into the house, each of them holding a bag of Paige's laundry.

"In here Emmy!" she heard her father call from the living room. Emily shuffled toward him, dragging Paige along, finding him reclined in his favorite chair watching what seemed to be an old wrestling match, a glass of iced tea and a sandwich on the end table beside him.

"Daddy, this is Paige. Paige, this is my dad," Emily introduced them with an excited smile, Wayne rising out of his chair to shake Paige's hand.

"Paige. Pleasure to meet you. That was a hell of a meal the other night. Top notch," he complimented with a wink.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that," she grinned.

"You're an actual trained chef?" he wondered.

"Yes, sir. I went to the Culinary Institute,"

"Very nice. It was generous of you to take care of the bill for us. Money's been tight, especially with this one in college," he told her, gesturing in Emily.

"It was my pleasure. I don't know what I'll do when she goes back to school. Emily makes my job easy, keeps my customers happy and ordering lots of food. The least I could do," Paige shrugged.

"That's my girl," he replied with a grin, ruffling Emily's hair.

"Dad…" Emily whined, though she was laughing, "mom said Paige could do some laundry. The washer in her apartment building is busted,"

"Ah, well don't let me stop you. I was just having some lunch and watching some TV," he winked, settling back down in his chair.

"Is this Wrestlemania?" Paige asked, recognizing some of the athletes on the screen.

"It is…from years and years ago…do you watch this stuff?"

"Eh, a little. My brothers do, we were all pretty into it when we were kids. Until my brother Owen tried to give me a 'Stone Cold Stunner' on our trampoline one summer…knocked one of my teeth out and he needed six stiches in his shoulder. Mom banned wrestling and we weren't allowed on the trampoline for a month," Paige recalled with a laugh.

"Yeah, Pam hates it," Wayne laughed back.

"How come all your childhood stories end with you getting hurt?" Emily chuckled, tucking a stand of Paige's hair behind her ear.

"Uh, hello…it was me and four boys…I had to prove I could hang with them," she shrugged.

"Four boys?" Emily's mother gasped as she entered the living room, drying her hands on a dish towel, "your mother must have the patience of a saint," she finished, having overhead part of their conversation from the kitchen.

"And then some," Paige laughed, "I'm surprised she has any hair left,"

"Paige, my mom. Mom, Paige," Emily interjected.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Fields. You have a beautiful home," Paige greeted, shaking her hand, "thank you so much for having me over, and for letting me do my laundry…" she trailed off.

"Not a problem, sweetheart. Emily can show you where the laundry room is, other than that just make yourself at home. I'm making spaghetti and meatballs tonight, I hope that's alright for you," she explained.

"Oh, yeah. That sounds amazing, actually," she replied excitedly, as if she hadn't just eaten a breakfast big enough for three.

"Well, great. Why don't you go ahead and get your laundry started, I've got some snacks I can get out and then we'll sit and talk," Pam offered, before heading back of into the kitchen.

"Come on," Emily said with a smile, taking Paige by the hand and pulling her toward the laundry room. She threw the bag of clothes she held onto the ground, pulling the bag out of Paige's hand and doing the same, before turning toward her and enveloping her in a hug.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked, instinctively returning the hug, her hands rubbing along Emily's back.

"I'm amazing," she whispered, burying her face in Paige's neck. Without even really thinking she pressed a kiss to the skin there, nuzzling it with her nose before she gently kissed a path up along her jaw, planting one right in the corner of her mouth where she had a few weeks prior.

"What do you think I should do now?" she whispered, her lips still brushing against Paige's face as she spoke. Her left hand was entwined in Paige's hair, her right hooked through the belt loops of her jeans. She was too far gone now, having waited what felt like an eternity to touch Paige this way. She had transformed into a person she didn't even recognize, overcome with burning lust, her willpower disintegrated into a puddle at her feet. This was all she had wanted since her summer break began, and there was nothing that could stop her now.

"Whatever you want," Paige gulped. Her eyes were already closed, her hands on Emily's hips. Paige wasn't sure she had ever been so turned on in her life, wondering briefly what had gotten into Emily in the brief walk to the laundry room, before casting the thought away and gripping her waist tighter. Without another thought or breath, Emily captured Paige's lips with her own, gently at first, as if dipping her toe into a cold pool of water, before diving head first, the softness and sweet taste of Paige's lips pulling her in deeper. She wrapped her arms around Paige's neck, pulling her impossibly closer as she deepened the kiss. Their bodies were now completely pressed together; breasts against breasts, stomachs touching as Emily teased Paige's bottom lip with her tongue, moaning in pleasure as Paige reciprocated and their tongues tangled together. If Emily had any wherewithal before the kiss, it was completely gone now, the sensation of kissing Paige even better than anything she could have imagined.

They stood like that for a while, kissing like they would never, ever stop, before Emily brazenly moved her arms under Paige's ass, lifting her without disconnecting their lips, and hoisting her onto the top of the washing machine. She had to stand on her tippy toes now, but was undeterred as she buried her hands back into Paige's hair. Paige chuckled into her mouth at this, but kept on kissing Emily, quite enjoying that it had taken her all of thirty seconds to lose control and start throwing her around.

"Shut up…" Emily gasped between kisses, "that was sexy as hell in my head,"

"Mine too…" Paige panted. Her legs had wrapped themselves around Emily's midsection of their own accord, her body's instinctual attempt at creating some friction to help appease her arousal. Emily too, was surging with hormones, unable to help the heat that was coursing through her veins, right to her center. She knew without even having to think that this was the hottest kiss of her life.

"We should…cool off…" Paige whispered after a few more moments of their heated lip lock, "I've said five words to your parents…they can't catch us making out in their laundry room," she rationalized, holding Emily at an arm's length.

Emily blew out a shaky breath and rubbed at her face, as if just snapping out of a trance.

"Damn it…" she sighed, running a hand through her hair, though she knew Paige was right, "well as far as first kisses go that was pretty…"

"Explosive," Paige laughed and Emily nodded.

"Yeah," she smiled, offering a hand out and pulling Paige down off the washing machine.

"Alright…" Emily sighed, leaning in and kissing Paige once more before kneeling down and digging open the bags of laundry, "darks or lights first?"


	10. Chapter 10

Four loads of laundry later, and halfway through her second plate of Pam's spaghetti and homemade meatballs, Paige felt more relaxed than she had in weeks. She had learned early on in life, even before her time as a chef, the highest form of compliment came in asking for seconds, and with Pam's cooking it was no question. Paige could see similarities to her own mother, their desire to please a crowd, and keep their family full and happy pretty identical. It made her feel quite at home even though they were just meeting for the first time.

Conversation came easily, too. Wayne was chock full of questions, about everything from her time in culinary school to her taste in wine, from what her brothers were like to what brand of snow tires she put on her Jeep in the winter time. Pam seemed genuinely interested as well, listening intently as Paige rambled on, instinctively refilling Paige's salad plate, or sneaking her another piece of garlic bread.

Emily was euphoric, seeing her parents and Paige getting along so well. To her, it spoke volumes of the type of person Paige was, genuine and kind, charming and funny. She couldn't be happier they were seeing Paige the way she did. Of course, it was also nice to see Paige relaxing and just being a guest for once, too.

"So, Emmy tells me you've got some big interview coming up? You're going to be in a magazine?" Wayne asked, twirling some pasta on his fork.

"Daddy…" Emily whined, shooting him an intense glare. She really hadn't wanted this to come up and stress Paige out.

"What? It's good, isn't it?" he shrugged.

"Dad it's her day off, she doesn't want to think about work,"

"It's okay, Em. I mean, it is really good. It's a huge opportunity. I'm just really nervous, I guess," Paige replied.

"Surely you have nothing to worry about," Pam interjected, "your food is fabulous. It seems like the restaurant is doing very well…there wasn't an empty seat when we were there. And Emily's tips speak for themselves,"

"Emily's tips speak more for her than for me," Paige chuckled, "I probably wouldn't even be getting this shot if it wasn't for her,"

"That's not true," Emily frowned, "you're the one who made the food. I just brought it to her table. You're the one she's interviewing, you earned this,"

"Your parents must be very proud. And your brothers," Pam told her with a smile.

"I uh, haven't told them yet. I thought…if everything goes well I'd send them all a copy of the magazine in the mail," she shrugged.

"Oh. Well…that will be a nice surprise for them. Do they cook as well?" Pam asked, sensing Paige's readiness to change the subject.

"Yup. Well, they're retired now…but they owned a place over on 53rd street for like…twenty years. They sold it a few years ago and moved out by the shore," Paige answered.

"53rd street you say? You're not talking about McCullers Pub are you?" Wayne questioned.

"That'd be the one. Now it's a pizza shop, Dominic's. They have a pretty decent pie," she shrugged.

"Man, McCullers Pub. You remember that place honey?" Wayne asked his wife, and she nodded with a smile, "we went there a few times before Emmy was born. Your mom makes a mean bowl of chili," he recalled.

"Ah, my dad actually. That chili is his pride and joy. I don't even have the recipe," she laughed.

"Still, what a great place. Is that how they met? Your parents?" he wondered.

"Nah, they actually met after a Flyers game. I guess it was snowing really bad and they both ended up waiting the storm out in the same bar across from the stadium. My dad says he knew as soon as he looked at her from across the bar he was looking at his soul mate. Mom says he smiled at her once and she was his. They were married a year after that," she explained through a smile, and Emily smiled too. She could definitely relate, having been transfixed by the McCullers charm and that damn smile since day one.

"That's very sweet," Pam replied, noticing the love struck look on her own daughter's face as she listened to Paige talk and watched her eat, "your parents must've had their hands full, owning a restaurant and running around after five children," she observed.

"Sure. They were awesome, though. They kept it all together. My mom jokes that she has a grey hair named after each of us," Paige laughed, "but I think she wouldn't have had it any other way. Now with all my nieces and nephews running around…she's still wanting more. My youngest brother Owen just got married in March and she's practically waiting by the phone for him to call and say there's a baby on the way,"

"Owen and Brittany are going to have really cute babies," Emily pointed out and Paige nodded.

"Yeah. I'm pretty anxious waiting for it too, I gotta say," she admitted.

"So is that something you would like to have? A big family, lots of kids?" Wayne asked, sipping his wine.

"Oh yeah, definitely. I can't wait to have kids," she replied.

"Paige is really good with kids," Emily told them.

"So are you," Paige replied, "Lacey loved you, and it took Ryan like half an hour to get Jared calmed down after you left. He definitely didn't want his new buddy 'Emiwy' to leave," she laughed.

"He's a little sweetie. He's gonna be a heartbreaker when he grows up,"

"I'm pretty sure he's set on marrying you when he grows up," Paige chuckled.

"Please, we just met," Emily joked, rolling her eyes, and Paige laughed heartily. Pam and Wayne, both smiling, eyed each other from across the table, enjoying the sight of Emily and Paige together, obviously just happy and at ease in each other's presence. Wayne hadn't seen his daughter this happy in a long time. It was the most he could hope for, something to keep him going in his next stint away from home. He probably wouldn't see Emily again until at least Christmas. At least now it seemed she had someone special in her life, something to keep her from worrying and missing him as much as he suspected she did.

* * *

After dinner, Pam and Wayne insisted on a walk around the neighborhood, to help digest before dessert. Emily had politely declined, wanting a few minutes alone with Paige to make sure she was enjoying herself and relaxed.

They had wandered to the back deck, and were now resting on the porch swing. Emily sat upright, Paige lying down with her head in Emily's lap, eyes closed as Emily's fingers combed through her hair.

"You seem really happy," Paige whispered, keeping her eyes closed. Her hands were resting on her stomach, every now and then rubbing back and forth in an attempt to settle the food inside.

"How could I not be? My dad's here, I got to spend the whole day with you…got to see you really relax and have a day off for the first time since I met you…you kissed me, finally…" Emily rambled, and Paige laughed.

"I think if we're being technical, you kissed me," she corrected.

"Does it matter? Do you know how many nights I couldn't sleep, cause all I could think about was kissing you? Laying with you like this? Dragging you back into the dry goods closet and having my way with you?" Emily rambled.

"How many?" Paige chuckled, and Emily rolled her eyes.

"You're lucky you're cute,"

"Don't I know it," Paige mumbled sleepily.

"Don't fall asleep," Emily whispered, moving her hand from Paige's hair down to cup her cheek. Paige reached up and took the hand from her face, kissing Emily's knuckles and then lacing their fingers together.

"It's okay. Let's just take a quick nap. I'll still be cute in the morning," she replied with a drowsy smile.

"My mom made apple cinnamon cake for dessert…" she teased, and Paige's eyebrows shot up.

"Mmm…" she moaned, stretching her arms out as she yawned. Emily grinned as Paige's t-shirt rode up a bit in the front, leaving her toned stomach on display.

"Mmm indeed," Emily husked in reply, reaching down and ghosting a hand across Paige's abs, smiling as she flinched at the touch, "I know you're really tired. I'm just not ready for this day to be over yet," she whispered.

"If you want, bring your work clothes along when you drive me home. You can crash and we'll go to work from my place," Paige offered.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You can help me put away all this laundry you made me do today," she yawned again.

"Very funny,"

"I'm serious. We'll watch a movie or play Xbox or checkers or something. You can try all the stuff I made this morning,"

"That sounds nice, but I barely have room for dessert. I vote for a movie, though I'm sure you'll be sleeping ten minutes in," Emily smiled.

"That depends on the movie, beautiful," she told her, groaning a little with effort as she pushed herself to sit up, "I have a pretty big collection though. Bought out most of Blockbuster's stuff when they went out of business. Your pick," Paige offered. Emily just kept smiling as she looked at Paige trying to wipe the sleepiness from her eyes.

"What?"

"You called me beautiful," Emily swooned.

"Yeah," Paige shrugged with a grin, "well you are,"

Emily sighed happily, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Paige's lips.

"Come on. We'll have dessert and then we'll go," she said, and with one more kiss they headed back into the house.

* * *

A few hours later, they found themselves in Paige's recliner, Paige sitting between Emily's legs as Emily massaged her shoulders. Emily would've been certain Paige had fallen asleep, but every few minutes she would turn her head for a kiss, which Emily was happy to provide. It had been the perfect day, a first date that felt fairy tale worthy in Emily's mind, and there was no place she'd rather be.

"You're so freakin tense," Emily whispered as she worked on a particularly stubborn knot in Paige's right shoulder, "have you ever gotten a massage before?"

"Mmm…don't think so. Not a real one, anyhow," she moaned in reply.

"Makes sense,"

"Do you get them often?" Paige wondered.

"I do. Coach's orders, once a month to keep us nice and loose," Emily explained.

"Really? Uh…who like…who massages you? A girl?"

"Yes, a girl. The athletic trainer. Her name is Gina, and she's like 40, and married. To a man," Emily laughed, pressing a kiss to the back of Paige's head.

"Touché…sorry, did I sound like a jealous creep?" Paige winced.

"Not at all. It's kind of cute considering I've spent the last two months in a jealousy cocoon,"

"You weren't that bad," Paige soothed, "you handled it very well, anyhow,"

"Around you, I suppose. After work I'd haul wine and takeout over to Hanna's and bitch and moan, trying to make her pick an outfit or different makeup for me that would make you notice me," she admitted.

"I always noticed you, Em. Since day one,"

"I guess I see that now. But then, seeing you hold Kelsey's hand and kiss her and watching you guys do couple things…it drove me nuts. And I still hate knowing Kelsey's somewhere now hurting like crazy," she rambled.

"Yeah. Me too. Hanna said she's been a mess," Paige replied with a groan.

"Well, you're not gonna be an easy girl to get over,"

"Should I do something? Call her, tell her I'm sorry? Bring her some food?" Paige wondered.

"Haven't you ever been dumped before?"

"Yeah, of course," she shrugged.

"Did you ever spend the first few weeks hoping the girls who dumped you would bring you food? Like… that's what you do when someone dies, not when you dump someone,"

"Alright, I know, I know. I just hate that I hurt her,"

"It's sweet you want to make it better," she kissed the back of her head again, "but you're the one person who can't. Well, neither can I. All you can do is give her space. I think you trying to talk to her so soon would feel like rubbing salt in the wound. She's got Hanna and the girls at the restaurant. She'll be okay," Emily soothed.

"You're right. I know," she sighed.

"Are you going to put on a movie or what?"

"Think you can stay awake for the whole thing?" Paige teased, turning a little in Emily's arms so they were face to face in the cramped recliner.

"I'm not the one who hasn't slept for three days," Emily chuckled, smoothing the exhaustion lines under Paige's eyes gently with her thumb.

"I can make it a few more hours," Paige assured her, "I'm getting kind of hungry again though,"

"Oh yeah? That spaghetti didn't hold you over very long," Emily laughed.

"Well, you try not sleeping for three days and see how fast your body burns through carbs just to keep going," Paige shrugged.

"My metabolism is no match for yours. How about this, you pick a movie, and I'll go fix you something to eat," Emily offered, and Paige smiled as yet again she heard the influence of just a year in the south in Emily's voice, finding it adorable.

"I could eat a bowl of cereal…" she crooned.

"Cereal sounds good. Where is it?" Emily asked, wiggling her way out of the chair and heading toward the kitchen.

"Cabinet above the coffee pot," Paige called, kicking the footrest back into the recliner and walking over to her DVD stand.

"Hmm…you have…Fruit Loop crumbs, and…BBQ Pringles," Emily observed with a chuckle and Paige groaned. She had spent several hundred dollars on food the night before, none of it actually resembling groceries.

"Damn…so much for that,"

"It's fine. I'll walk down to the corner store and get a box of something. What's your pleasure?" Emily offered, already rifling through her purse for some cash.

"You aren't walking down there by yourself," Paige's head snapped up from where she was comparing two movies.

"Paige, it's at the end of the block, and it's not even dark yet. Stay here, pick a movie, get comfortable. I'll be fine," she walked up to Paige and pressed a kiss to her lips, "seriously, I'll be gone ten minutes. What kind of cereal do you want?"

"Surprise me," she husked, pulling Emily in for another kiss, this one deeper than the first, "please be careful,"

"Be right back," she winked, and with one last kiss, she was out the door.

* * *

Not having wanted Paige to be anything but satisfied, Emily had ended up with three different boxes of cereal. Now standing in line to be rung up, behind an older woman getting a little too picky about her lottery numbers, Emily was jugging the cereal, a gallon of milk, a few candy bars and a tooth brush, since she had forgotten to pack her own. The woman in front of her purchased another ticket and began scratching it on the counter, and Emily sighed. She just wanted to get back to Paige with her cereal, and cuddle the crap out of her.

The clerk behind the counter shot Emily a sympathetic grin, obviously trying to appease her so she wouldn't drop her selections and walk out to buy them somewhere else, and Emily shook her head with a silent laugh. Working in customer service, she knew his pain. Sometimes customers just drove her crazy.

"Cinnamon Toast Crunch at seven at night?" Emily heard from behind her, and turned to see Kelsey, two forties of Miller Lite in her hands from the back beer cooler. She looked every bit the mess Hanna had said she was, looking even more exhausted than Paige did, eyes puffy from what Emily guessed was both a lack of sleep and excessive crying. She was wearing an old concert t-shirt and pajama pants with flip flops. Emily hadn't even seen her enter the store.

"Kelsey…hi…"

"You must be on your way to Paige's," Kelsey observed, tipping her head toward the cereal in Emily's arms, "she loves cereal at night,"

"I…uh…yeah…" Emily stammered, looking down at her feet, "how are you?" she asked, and immediately felt stupid for doing so.

"Oh you know," she laughed darkly, holding up the bottles in even clearer view, "every night's a party,"

"Kelsey, we haven't talked since everything went down. I just want you to know how sorry I am. I never wanted you to get hurt," Emily told her.

"Yeah but you're not as sorry as you think you are. Cause you got exactly what you wanted," she rolled her eyes.

"That's not true…I admit I had feelings for Paige all along, but I really did try to leave her be. I really tried to let her just be with you. I just liked her too much…" Emily explained. Kelsey rolled her neck back and forth on her shoulders, and blew out a shaky breath.

"Yeah," she spoke softly, "well thanks, I guess,"

"I know you have to hate me right now. I deserve it. But you're really important to me. You made me feel like I belong, at the restaurant, you know? So I'd really like it if eventually, one day, we could be friends again," Emily pleaded.

"I'll keep that in mind. In the meantime, save your money. The box of Fruit Loops I'm assuming you're trying to replace was mine. Paige hates them. Get her Apple Jacks instead. Those and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch are her favorite," Kelsey told her through a sad smile.

"Oh. Okay…thanks,"

"Yeah, sure, I guess. Hey. If you really want to be my friend, do me a favor, and don't tell Paige you saw me," she asked, and Emily nodded sadly.

"Uh, miss…you can come on up now," the clerk called, and Emily turned toward him.

"Uh, you go ahead…" she told Kelsey, "I gotta go swap this cereal…"

"Yeah, thanks. Later," she replied, pushing past Emily and making her way to the register. Emily sighed, happy to escape the awkwardness for now, as she headed back toward the cereal section of the store.

* * *

The sun was just starting to sink down behind the Philadelphia skyline as Emily made her way back to Paige's apartment with bags in hand. She was gone a little longer than expected, due to the line at the counter and the awkward conversation with Kelsey, and she was hoping Paige wasn't worried.

As she approached apartment 8, Paige's apartment, she knocked a few times on the door before letting herself in.

"Hey sorry I took so long…Paige? Paige where are you?" she called, a little confused not seeing Paige waiting for her on the couch with a movie waiting to play.

"Em…we're gonna have to postpone movie night…" Paige announced, coming out of her bedroom with a frown. She was clutching her phone in one hand, the other combing through her hair nervously. She looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Paige what happened? Are you okay?" Emily asked alarmed, dropping the bags and rushing to Paige. The tone of their incredible day and pending first night together had definitely changed. Paige was a frantic mess.

"Brittany just called me. Owen was in a car accident," she told her, her voice shaky and raw with fear.

"Oh God…is he okay?" Emily gasped. Paige made her way back to her bedroom, and Emily followed seeing Paige already had a messy bag packed, ready to hit the road to Delaware where her brother lived.

"I don't know. She doesn't even know. By the time she got to the hospital he was already in surgery. They aren't telling her anything. I need to get down there. I'm so, so sorry…we had such a nice day…" she rambled.

"No, no Paige don't apologize. I'm here, I'm with you, let's go," Emily attempted to soothe her.

"Em, it's okay. It's close two a two- hour drive, you don't have to go. I'll probably be down there a few days. Shit…I'll have to call Chrissy…and I have to call Greg and ask him to fill in for me…"

"You cannot drive right now, I'm coming with you," Emily insisted, pulling Paige into a hug, "I just need to stop somewhere for gas,"

"I just filled up my Jeep, we can take that. Are you sure, Em? You can totally go home. Or stay here if you want, get some sleep and I'll call you when I get there," Paige offered.

"No way. You're shaking like a leaf, you can't drive, I won't let you. I'm with you Paige, I'm here. It's gonna be okay," Emily soothed. After grabbing their things and turning out the lights behind them, they were on the highway toward Delaware before Paige even caught her breath.

* * *

Again I thank you all for the support, the love, the reviews and everything else! You guys are what keeps me going! Thanks so much!


	11. Chapter 11

Valerie McCullers was a patient woman. She had married a restless man, an impassioned soul in Nick McCullers whose wanderlust and sense of humor knew no limits. She had toughed out five long pregnancies, working tedious, uncomfortable days on her feet during each one. She had raised four rambunctious, often mischievous sons and one bright-eyed, passionate daughter who ran in circles just to feel like one of the boys. She had patched up skinned knees, cooked nice family meals, scrubbed grass and juice and God-knows-what stains out of her kids clothes, always with a smile on her face.

If there was one scenario in which she possessed a short fuse, it was watching the well-being of one of her children in someone else's hands and feeling absolutely helpless. She absolutely hated hospitals, especially when one of her kids was the patient. Paige was very familiar with this side of her mother, having been a frequent flier in the emergency room as a child, definitely the most accident prone of the McCullers kids. And so, it was no surprise to Paige whatsoever when she finally stormed into the emergency room waiting area with Emily in tow, that her mother looked as though she was ready to put her fist through the drywall.

"Mom!" she greeted, immediately jogging up to where her mother was pacing, Nick and Brittany both sitting silently beside, waiting for news. At the sound of Paige's voice, Val's head snapped up, and she quickly gathered her daughter into her arms, holding on as tight as she could.

"How did you guys get here so fast?" Paige asked, allowing her mother to sway her back and forth in her arms, knowing she needed it in that moment, that it was the only thing tying her down to earth.

"Your father drove like a lunatic," she sighed, "we were out to dinner when Brittany called. I don't even think I remembered to throw money down on the table for the food. All I heard was Owen and accident and we were out of there like a gun shot," she explained through tears.

She held her daughter a few moments longer, finding comfort, however briefly in having one of her children in her arms, despite the fact that another one was out of her reach somewhere on an operating table. Finally, when she released Paige to greet her father and sister in law, she immediately pulled Emily into her arms. Emily was surprised, but returned the hug in earnest.

"It was nice of you to come, Emily. Thank you," she mumbled, swaying her as she just had Paige a moment ago.

"You're welcome. I didn't think Paige should drive…and I didn't want her to be alone anyhow,"

"Well thank you. I definitely didn't need two kids in the hospital tonight. Or ever," she sighed.

"You're welcome," Emily said again, though she doubted it was actually comforting.

"What the hell happened?" Paige asked, hugging her brother's wife as she stood grimly from her chair.

"Some idiot who was texting and driving, what else? She ran right through a red light and hit him head on," she sobbed into Paige's shoulder, "he was just out picking us up a pizza for dinner…"

"Damn it…is she here too?"

"Yeah. Hardly a scratch on her…the police are talking to her parents. God this is all my fault…I should've just cooked dinner…we had plenty of food, but I just had to have pizza…and he jumped right up to go get it…" she sobbed, and Paige instinctively held her tighter.

"Hey, come on. No. This isn't your fault, Brit. You weren't the one texting and driving a car. Owen loves you more than anything, he's loved you since he was in third grade. He would've gone to Mars to get you that pizza just to make you smile. There's no way in hell he's going to blame you for this. There's no way in hell he'd want you to blame yourself," she soothed.

"Is he still in surgery?" Emily asked after Paige's mother released her, "did they say what they needed to operate on?"

"He busted up his leg," Nick cut in, wrapping an arm around Paige and pulling her close to him, "the air bag deployed, broke his nose. They were having a hard time keeping him awake in the ambulance but they think he hurt his neck, too," he explained. It wasn't much, but it was all the nurse had been able to pass along from the EMT's reports so far.

"Oh God, his neck? No, no, no, no..." Paige sobbed, and her father pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her and kissing the top of her head.

"It'll be okay," Nick soothed, "It's Owen. He's tough as nails. He's young and tough and in shape and healthy. He's going to be out of surgery soon. And he'll wake up and make fun of us all for being so worried," he told her. In truth, his heart was in his throat, his nerves on edge at all the unknowns concerning his youngest son, but like always, his instinct to protect his daughter overcame all.

"Do they have any idea how much longer?" Paige rasped.

"No idea. They're too scared to tell us the wrong thing, so they're telling us nothing," Valerie guessed, her tone conveying her frustration. Emily could feel the tension radiating off her, could sense that she was ready to lose it. On top of the stress and worry, she could tell that everyone, including herself, was exhausted. She was especially worried about Paige, who had been ready for sleep hours ago, and now had to be running on adrenaline alone.

"How about I go find the cafeteria and get us some coffees?" Emily offered.

"Coffee sounds good, actually," Nick agreed.

"I'll go with you," Brittany sniffled, "I've been in this room for three hours, I need to stretch my legs,"

"Thank you, Emily. Again. For everything," Val replied, pulling Emily in for another hug.

"You're welcome,"

"Here," Nick stepped forward, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and opening it with shaky hands. He handed a few wrinkled twenty dollar bills to Emily, placing them in her palm and squeezing her hand in thanks, "get some cookies or something too for you girls to munch on. I think it's going to be a long night,"

"Yes sir," Emily nodded.

"Call me Nick, kiddo. You got my girl down here safe and sound...you're here with us...you're family tonight,"

* * *

The cafeteria was nice, large and crowded, and reminded Emily of the dining hall back at school. The cafeteria in high school had been small, a lot of the tables and chairs worn or broken, and no matter what was being served, all Emily could smell was canned peas and dirty wash rags. This, like the dining hall in North Carolina, was more modern, with countless meal options and even a salad bar. Where Emily expected to find a discarded carafe of day old coffee, there was actually a full station in the corner, with several flavors of coffee ready to pour, and a cooler full of prebaked cookies, brownies and snacks.

"It was really nice of you to bring Paige all this way," Brittany interrupted her thoughts, "I didn't mean to get her all riled up and upset. She was just...I don't even remember what was going through my head. I've never been so scared, she was the first person I called,"

"It's okay...she was already exhausted, and then...there was no way she could've driven around the block. Let alone all the way down here. It was the least I could do," Emily shrugged, gathering up a few cookies from the display case.

"Paige was always my rock growing up. Whenever something was going on in my life, she was there for me. The first person I'd run to. I guess it's just instinct now,"

"Believe me, I get it. She has that something about her, she's just easy to talk to. She always helps me through my shit. Is that how you met Owen? You and Paige were friends first?" Emily wondered.

"No, no Owen and I were in class together since Kindergarten. Paige and I got to be friends hanging out at his little league games. My brother played on the team too, and Paige and I were the only little sisters that got drug to the games and practices. Sometimes we'd just watch, other times we'd sneak off and play on the swings, or try and swipe money out of Val's purse for candy at the snack stand," she recalled with a laugh, "Owen and I got paired together on school projects a lot, too. So between the baseball games and that, being at their house all the time, Paige and I got to be good friends too,"

"That's so cool. So you didn't even have to worry about Mr. and Mrs. McCullers getting to like you when you started dating Owen, cause they were already so used to you, huh?" Emily asked. They made their way over to the register, five coffees and several snacks between them.

"Sure. Nick and Val are cool though, if you're worried about that or something. Seriously. Growing up, you never knew who'd you be eating dinner with at the McCullers house, because Val would never turn anyone down. As long as you don't hurt their kids, they love you with everything they got," she explained.

"Makes sense. Paige is one of the sweetest people I've ever known. She's gotta get that from somewhere. Owen, too. All of them, really," she chuckled.

"Yeah they're something else," Brittany smiled back, "you and Paige are a thing now?"

"We're...something," Emily grinned, "that's enough for me for now,"

"That's great. I'm happy for you. But...if you hurt her you're gonna have one hell of a big posse coming after you," she winked.

"Noted," Emily nodded, and then frowned, "I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about me, I mean geeze, I can't even imagine what you're going through," she pouted, placing a hand on her arm.

"Honestly, Emily, I appreciate the distraction. I'd rather talk about you and Paige than the fact that somewhere in this building, someone is cutting into my husband with a knife,"

"He'll be okay. I only talked to him a few times, but if he's anything like Paige, he's a fighter," Emily crooned.

"They're so alike it's scary," she replied, "you'll learn,"

"I bet I will," Emily laughed, "did Paige really take money out of her mom's purse for candy?"

"Only in the cutest way you can imagine. She thought she got away with it for the longest time, but Val knew. She knew from the first time I bet. Paige had a thing for Shock tarts when we were kids. Val wouldn't ever let her have them cause she'd bounce off the damn walls," she explained with a laugh, "but the snack stand had them and she couldn't resist. Her fatal flaw was running back to her mom while her tongue and lips were still blue or purple,"

"Freakin Paige," Emily laughed, "I can totally picture it, trying to pull one over on Val like that," Emily chuckled, "I bet her and Owen were partners in crime when it came to sweet talking her. Both with that smile...those dimples. Those dimples drive me crazy," Emily sighed.

"You have no idea, girl. Those dimples have had a spell on me for half my life,"

* * *

By the time a nurse let them know Owen was finally out of surgery and that a doctor would be out soon to talk to them, it was near one in the morning. He had made it through surgery, was stable and they were setting him up in recovery, but that was all they would say without the doctor present. It wasn't much, but it was enough to help everyone decompress, if only for a little while. Emily had drifted off to sleep, her head resting on Paige's shoulder, their hands entwined in Paige's lap. Guessing the doctor wasn't likely to let the five of them in to see Owen at once, Nick and Valerie had decided to take a walk to the hotel across the street, and secure a few rooms for the night. Visiting hours were long past over, and though the staff was kind to let them stay and wait, they would no doubt be kicking them out soon.

Brittany sat on Paige's right, typing away a text to her own parents who were waiting to hear about Owen, and the rest of his brothers who hadn't yet made it to Delaware.

"She's good for you, Paige," Brittany spoke softly, not looking up from her phone. Paige looked over and nodded with a smile.

"I know,"

"The way she talks about you..." she smiled, finally looking up from her phone, "it reminds me of the way I used to talk about Owen, when we first got together I mean. And it's nice to see you with someone who cares about things like your smile and your heart, more than what you do and how much money you make," she pointed out.

"I don't make that much," Paige rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"You do pretty well. Anyway, you're only twenty- five. Chef in a big city, anything could happen. Only a matter of time until somebody big takes notice," she elbowed Paige playfully, and Emily stirred slightly on her other side from the movement, but stayed asleep.

"Actually, somebody kind of already did. You know Courtney Calloway?" Paige asked.

"Know her? I did her hair every time she did a cooking segment on Good Morning Philadelphia before Owen and I moved down here. Why? Are you going to be cooking with her?" she gasped.

"Cooking for her," Paige corrected, "she wants to do a piece on me in the magazine. Pictures and an expose..."

"Paige, that's awesome! You know how huge this is?" she exclaimed.

"Pretty huge," Paige sighed.

"Don't tell me you're nervous. Paige, you're an amazing chef. Dontana's has been booked every single night since you've worked there. Everybody I know loves your food," she assured her.

"I know it sounds stupid. I just...can't figure out what to cook. I've made everything from veggie lasagna to Coquille St. Jacques. And every damn thing in between. Nothing seems good enough," she explained, shaking her head.

"It doesn't matter what you cook, Paigey. Just cook from your heart, and she'll feel it. Like...remember the year your dad made lobster tail and prime rib for Thanksgiving? None of us cared that we weren't eating turkey, because he was so excited about making something special for all of us, that's what made it so delicious," she recalled.

"That was a great year," Paige nodded, her stomach growling at the memory, "Emily told me once the best part of my food is that it's like my heart and soul on a plate..."

"I told you she's good for you," Brittany chuckled, patting Paige on the knee, "just cook like you're cooking for Emily, or for me and Owen, and you'll be fine. Although, if it helps, your stuffed mushrooms bring me to my knees. Maybe start there," she shrugged.

"Thanks, Brit," Paige laughed, "you always know what to say,"

"Anything for my favorite sister-in-law," she smiled, laying her head down on Paige's free shoulder, "Owen's gonna be so happy for you,"

"We should be worried about Owen getting better, not what's going on in my life," Paige rationalized.

"Knowing his little sister is going to be in a magazine will make him feel better. Do Nick and Val know yet?" she wondered.

"No...I was going to wait and see if it went well. Send copies to everyone in the mail as a surprise,"

"Well you do whatever makes you comfortable. You're gonna kill it, though. Don't forget us when you're famous, okay?" she crooned, "I don't just mean like, call us a lot and send us Christmas cards. I mean, when you have your own place, name something on the menu after me," she joked.

"I promise," Paige laughed.

* * *

It had taken about another half hour or so, but the surgeon had finally come out and sat with them, explained the extent of Owen's injuries and brought Brittany back to see him. He had suffered fractures in both his ankle and foot, as well as some severe bruising and swelling of the knee, all on his left leg. He would be in a cast and on crutches for some time, and have to start physical therapy before he could be released. Luckily, though, they explained, the injuries to his head and neck weren't as severe as they originally feared, and were pretty easily managed in the surgery. There were scattered cuts that were cleaned and bandaged, and he was on a steady morphine drip to help cope with the bruising and overall soreness he would be feeling. The team of doctors that had worked on him didn't expect any complications, which had nearly everyone sobbing in relief.

Brittany had been gone about twenty minutes or so before she returned to the waiting room, stains from fresh tears evident on her cheeks, though she was smiling.

"He's okay," she choked out, "he was in and out, kind of mumbling. I'm not sure he really knows where he is, but he's okay. At least he's not feeling any pain right now," she explained.

"Thank Heavens for that," Val replied. She had taken Brittany's vacant seat, an arm around Paige running her fingers through her hair, "you go on in next, baby. Go let him know you're here, say goodnight. Then you and Emily can head over to the room. You need some sleep," she ordered.

"Okay," she replied groggily, and turned to Emily, "I'll be back in a few," she finished, cupping Emily's face gently and pulling her in for a kiss.

"Take your time. I'll go get our bags out of your car and let Hanna know he's okay. Tell him I'm thinking about him too," Emily asked, and Paige nodded. She stood out of her chair, hugging her mother and father one last time before heading back behind the nurse's station and searching for Owen's room, room 309 as the nurse had instructed them earlier.

When she finally made it there, the sight of him from the doorway caused her breath to hitch in her throat for a moment. He was okay, breathing evenly and hooked up to several machines. The sight of the bruising around his face and chest, though, was definitely disturbing. She made her way over to the bed, and sunk into the chair propped up next to it, immediately taking hold of her brother's hand, careful of the IV needle that was taped there in order not to wake him.

She could see from the deep purple bruises peeking from underneath the chest lapels of his hospital gown that he had been wearing a seatbelt, and though it had injured him badly, she guessed it had saved his life, and for that she was grateful.

"Hey man," she whispered, wanting him to hear her, but not wanting to disturb his rest, "you really scared the crap out of me, you know it? I know it wasn't your fault...but damn," she sniffled. Though she knew he was alright, and was comforted by just being by his side after hours of waiting, she couldn't help the tears running down her face now.

"You're supposed to be the strong one, remember?" she laughed through a sob, "I'm supposed to be the hot mess that has everybody worried, and you're supposed to be the one keeping mom and dad from losing it. But you had to go flip the script on me, didn't you?"

She wiped the tears off her face with her sleeve and laughed again, "Do you remember that time mom was real sick with the flu? Jordy and Nate and Ryan were with their friends or something, so dad took you and I sledding to get us out of mom's hair for a while? The snow was so old and kinda iced over, so we were going so fast. And then I wiped out and went down half the hill on my face. Remember? My face was all scraped up on one side. So he took us to the pharmacy and bought me Looney Tunes band aids and patched me up in the parking lot. When we got home mom could tell right away, because my lip was all black and blue and my eye was almost swollen shut. Dad got in so much trouble for that one," she laughed, "but to help me feel better you convinced mom to order us pizza for dinner, and we moved your PlayStation downstairs and had a pizza party in the living room and played Tony Hawk Pro Skater all night," she recalled, shaking her head with a smile. It was one of her fondest memories of childhood. Owen hadn't stirred, as she expected, but somewhere in the back of her head she could hear him chuckling, the same laugh he belted out every time one of them brought up this story.

"So you can sleep tonight. But tomorrow you need to focus on getting better, so Brit can take you home, and we can have a pizza party and play PlayStation," she ordered, "like ASAP, okay? I've kinda got an important work thing Friday. But I can tell you about that later. For now just rest. Everyone else should be here later tomorrow. Hanna is in Philly but she's been blowing up my phone asking for updates. She stayed up all night to hear you were alright. And Emily's here. She actually drove me. We're...about eighteen hours into our first date now," she realized aloud, looking at her watch with a chuckle.

"She's really special, Owen. She makes me feel good about myself. She makes me feel wanted. She's funny and smart and...well, you've seen her. Mom and dad love her already. Brittany loves her. She came all this way just to make sure I'd be okay, and to make sure you're okay. I'm crazy about her Owen. And I know you like her too, but I can't wait for you to get to know her better. And for her to know you, too,"

Paige sighed, her exhaustion really starting to catch up with her by the minute, and leaned forward, elbows on the edge of the hospital bed.

"I guess I should give you some peace and quiet. I really need some shut eye myself. Mom and dad got us a couple rooms right across the street, so we'll be back before you know it," she said, reaching a hand up and gently ruffling his dark blonde hair, the tips of which were speckled with dry blood, "time for a haircut, bro," she laughed softly, "I know I put it off forever and a day, but your wife is a hair stylist, so what's your excuse?"

After a few more moments watching his even breathing, and ensuring she took one last glance at all the monitors attached to him, even though she hadn't the slightest clue what they meant, Paige rose from her chair, placing a kiss on her brother's forehead.

"Goodnight, bro," she whispered, "I love you. See you soon,"

* * *

A quick walk across the street, cramped elevator ride and two separate hot showers later, Paige and Emily were finally in pajamas and cuddled together in their stiff, unfamiliar hotel bed. Brittany would be in soon to take the empty bed in the double room, and Paige's parents were just on the other side of the hall.

Paige was on her side, Emily's back flush against her front, and was rubbing circles on her belly with the hand draped over her waist, the other massaging her head gently.

"You're gonna put me to sleep in ten seconds flat," Emily mumbled.

"Good," Paige smiled into the back of her neck, "you need the rest,"

"You're one to talk," Emily countered.

"Mmhmm,"

"Are you okay? Did seeing Owen upset you or anything?" Emily asked, taking the hand that had been on her stomach and lacing their fingers together.

"Nope. It actually made me feel better. He's okay. He'll be alright," she sighed, "I think I want to stay down here until he's home and settled. You can stay too if you want. I'll call Chrissy and explain to her, and Brittany won't mind," Paige offered.

"I'd love to, but my dad leaves again Tuesday. I should really go see him off," she replied softly.

"Shit, you're right. I forgot, I'm sorry,"

"It's okay. You should stay. I'll get a rental car or something and head back once Owen's awake and doing okay," she replied.

"You're under twenty-five, they're not gonna give you a rental car," Paige told her.

"Really? That's a law?"

"Kind of. Unless it's covered under your car insurance cause yours is in the shop or something, you can't get rental cars until you're twenty-five," she explained.

"How do you know that?" Emily wondered. Paige laughed softly, kissing the back of her neck again and sighing.

"Senior class trip to Hershey Park. Me and one of my friends missed the bus and they left without us. We walked over to the car rental place a little down the road, and they laughed in my face when I told them I was seventeen. So since I spent all my money on Reese's cups and mozzarella sticks, I didn't have any left for a three-hundred-dollar cab ride home to Philly...had to call my mom to come pick us up. She was not pleased,"

"I bet not," Emily laughed.

"Take my Jeep home. I'll either catch a ride with my parents or rent a car," Paige offered.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, definitely. Just remind me to give you money for gas before you go," she shrugged.

"Thanks, Paige,"

"Are you kidding? Thank you. You are incredible. I don't know how I would've gotten through this night without you. I owe you one hell of a redo on our first date," Paige told her.

"Why would I want a redo?"

"Because we were going to cuddle and eat cereal and watch movies, and ended up driving through road construction to Delaware and sitting in a hospital all night,"

"We also had breakfast together, and did laundry and talked, and had dinner with my parents and watched wrestling with my dad...Paige, if I could undo what happened to Owen I would do it in a heartbeat, but don't think I was anything but happy about our first date," Emily crooned.

"Really?"

"Of course! I had so much fun. We got bad news and had to change our plans a bit, but I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere but here by your side. Don't think you have to make it up to me or try to fix anything. I don't want our relationship to be that way," Emily pleaded, flipping over in Paige's arms and reaching a hand up to trace her lips with a finger, "I'm crazy about you the way you are, and I can find something incredible about every moment I spend with you," she whispered.

Paige opened and closed her mouth a few times, before deciding the only thing she could offer to top that was a kiss, and pulled Emily in, connecting their lips gently. Emily's hand moved to stroke Paige's cheek gently, and she moaned, the minty taste of Paige's lips, and the fruity scent of her freshly washed hair engulfing and overwhelming her senses as they kissed.

"I really don't know what I'd do if you weren't here with me," Paige whispered after they pulled apart.

"The same thing you're gonna do right now," she said with another kiss, "Sleep," and with that, she rolled back over, reaching back for Paige's arm and wrapping it around herself once more.

"Good night," Paige laughed in response, "sweet dreams,"

* * *

Hi guys! So, so sorry for the wait! I was a little under the weather for a few weeks. Hope you enjoy! As always, thank you for everything!


	12. Chapter 12

" _Can you hear them? They talk about us...telling lies...well, that's no surprise…"_

Emily stirred in bed at the sound of muffled singing, and rolled over with a stretch, realizing she was alone under the covers. She reached a hand out to Paige's side, running a hand along the wrinkled sheets that still held her warmth, telling her Paige hadn't been up for long. She could see that Brittany's bed was vacant as well, and made up as though nobody had even slept in it at all. She must've snuck out early and quietly enough that Emily hadn't even heard her go.

Emily yawned again, rolling back over and reaching for her phone where it was charging on the nightstand. Swiping her finger across and typing in the code to unlock it, she gasped when she noticed it was already almost noon. She hadn't expected to sleep that long.

" _Doesn't matter what they say...in the jealous games people playyy...yeah, our lips are sealed…"_ Emily heard again and couldn't help but giggle. She propped herself up, the pillows behind her back, and noticed the light and steam from the shower pouring out from underneath the bathroom door adjacent to their bed. No doubt it hadn't even occurred to Paige how loud she was singing, but Emily was grateful to witness how Paige let loose when she thought nobody was paying attention. To Emily, it seemed like some sleep had done Paige good and maybe she was feeling a little better.

She had a few texts from her dad and Hanna, and set to work answering them while she waited for Paige's impromptu shower concert to wrap up, yawning a few times as she continued to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

After a few minutes she heard the shower water cut off, and soon Paige emerged, a cloud of steam and light flooding the doorway as she stepped out, wet hair slicked back, towel wrapped around her midsection, water droplets trickling down her toned arms and chest. She froze when she saw Emily propped up in bed, grinning at her.

"Em...hey, you're awake,"

"I am," she laughed, picking up on the blush creeping up Paige's neck to her cheeks, "do I just have to cheer for an encore or do I have to throw my bra at you?"

"I didn't think you'd hear me," she winced, "sorry I woke you up,"

"I wouldn't have wanted to miss that. I slept too long anyway. Are you feeling better?" Emily wondered. Paige made her way over to the bed, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Emily's lips, and one to her cheek before she pulled away and stood upright again.

"I am. Brit text me a little bit ago. She's been over at the hospital since like 8. Owen's awake and doing okay. He knows where he is, who he is...he's even joking with the nurses already. I was gonna sneak out and get us some donuts and coffee before we head back over," she explained, "Oh! And I also had some kind of like, crystallizing dream about my menu for Friday. I still have to do a dry run. But I think I've got a plan now, which is more than I could say for yesterday," she shrugged with a smile.

"That's the genius chef I know," Emily smiled back, "what kind of crystallizing dream? Did the ghost of Julia Child come to you and tell you legends never die?" she laughed.

"Not quite that crystallizing, but that would've been cool as hell!" Paige barked a laugh, "no nothing that cool. I don't know, I was just cooking and dancing and having fun with it you know? I was cooking stuff I believe in, stuff people couldn't get enough of. I let Chrissy get in my head when she told me Courtney was coming. I felt like I had to be what she wanted me to be. But if I do that, I'm going to be cooking lemon chicken risotto for the rest of my life. And I don't want that! You know? I want to cook my way, not Chrissy's way. So I need to show Courtney that I have my own way, that she's not wasting her time on a cookie cutter chef. I'm going to show her what growing up in Philly looks like on a plate, gourmet style. Real Philly comfort food, with flair. Does that make sense? Do you think that's the way to go?" she rambled, pacing back and forth in front of the beds as her legs struggled to keep up with her brain.

"Why are you asking me? There's a sign on the microwave in my dorm hall that says 'Don't Burn Popcorn' with 'That means you, Emily' scribbled on it in pen," she laughed.

"Cause I trust you. Cause I know you want this to go well for me," she shrugged.

"Go with your plan Paige. I can't tell you how to impress a food critic for the life of me. What I know is that when you are confident in yourself, your food tastes so good. When it means something to you and you're excited for it, it's amazing. Part of how I fell for you so fast was your confidence. My first day, when you did your pre-service in the dining room? I was melting into the floor," Emily explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. It was so hot. Hanna wanted to kick my ass cause I was a blubbering fool all through dinner service and she thought you'd find me out and give her shit for bringing in a kid who couldn't handle her crush on the chef," she admitted bashfully.

"You really liked me that much? On the first day?"

"Of course I did. Does that surprise you?"

"Kind of. I mean, you're gorgeous, Em. People see you coming from a mile away and break their necks to keep looking at you as long as possible. My happily married brothers were all buzzing about you at my birthday party. I noticed you right away, that's for sure. But I'm a sweaty mess at work," she rambled.

"Have you ever looked at yourself in the mirror, Paige? When you have that chef's coat on? Sleeves rolled up, those forearms flexing when you're chopping onions or flipping things around in a pan…" Emily trailed off, unconsciously licking her lips.

"My forearms?" Paige laughed, holding both arms out in front of her and looking down, rolling her wrists around in an attempt to flex them.

"Don't act like you don't know. I'm assuming you've spent plenty of time at the gym sculpting them," Emily replied. The idea of Paige working out, lifting weights in a tight tank and running shorts sent a rush of heat to her cheeks in seconds.

"I mostly do cardio at the gym," Paige replied, still flexing, "but lifting sides of beef and hundred pound bags of potatoes every day might've done it," she guessed with a wink. While at first she'd felt a little bashful at Emily's assessment, and the idea that whenever Emily had watched her work she had obviously been paying close attention to her physique, now in this moment, she was feeling pretty good about the way Emily's eyes were raking over her body, still wrapped in only a towel, glistening from her shower.

"Whatever it is," Emily purred, standing from bed and closing the distance between them, her hands resting on Paige's forearms and squeezing gently, "it works for you. All I could think about that first day was being wrapped in those arms. I wanted you to come grab me from behind…" she husked, running her hands up and down the length of Paige's bare arms, "and drag me off to the supply closet...and just have your crazy way with me. Coat and bandana still on...those muscles flexing against my belly while you make me see stars...you have no idea how many nights that's all I could think about…" Emily husked. Their foreheads were touching and Paige was breathing heavily, quickly worked up by Emily's fantasy, wanting more than anything to make it a reality.

"How many?" she whispered.

"A lot," Emily chuckled in reply, and before Paige could say anything else, Emily connected their lips gently, but meaningfully. She kept her hands on Paige arms, even as they moved up to cup Emily's face as Paige deepened the kiss. Emily moaned as Paige's tongue tangled with her own. She wanted nothing more than to peel the damp towel from Paige's torso and pull her back into bed, to spend the next few hours exploring her body and coaxing more confidence out of her, the confidence that had Emily so worked up in the first place. She longed to feel Paige's strong hands and nimble fingers explore her own body, to feel her lips glide from limb to limb, across her chest, down her belly and beyond. It had been on her mind almost constantly since the summer began, and now in this moment, with the object of her affections finally in her arms, it was nearly all consuming for Emily.

She knew, though, that no matter how bad she wanted it, or how worked up Paige had become, that this wasn't the time or the place for her first time with the girl she was falling for more every day. Torn between her desire for both preplanned romance, and somehow equally, animalistic spontaneity, her heart won out over her hormones and she pulled away, their lips disconnecting with a pop. Paige looked like some kind of stunned wild animal, her lips red, wet and swollen, her eyes wide with question, her chest heaving.

"I'm sorry...did I do something wrong? Did I go too far?" she questioned.

"God, no, Paige. It's not you. It's not me, either. You're so sexy, and I want you so much. I want all of you and I want you to have all of me…" Emily rambled, running a shaky hand through her messy hair, blowing out a breath.

"So what happened?"

"Nothing. Just...I don't know if you realize yet how much I like you. How seriously I feel about our relationship," Emily replied. She grabbed the bottle of water from her night stand and took several large gulps, sitting on the bed to catch her breath, "I got caught up in the moment. Seeing you talk about your dream and your plan, more confident than you've been in weeks...it was so sexy. And if I didn't like you so much, like really like you, we'd be going at it in this bed right now," she chuckled and Paige shook her head, not really following.

"But you like me...like really like me...so we're not gonna do it?" she tried, and Emily laughed again.

"Not here. Not today. Not when I have to leave in a few hours. Not when we're getting ready to go see your brother in the hospital. And definitely not in a bed just across the hall from your father, in a room he paid for," she rationalized, and at that Paige's eyes nearly bugged out of her head.

"Oh my God…"

"See?" Emily laughed, "I think Nick likes me. I'm not about to ruin that. He seems so laid back, but I bet he's no nonsense when it comes to his little girl," she guessed.

"You have him pegged pretty well," Paige chuckled back, taking a seat next to Emily on the bed, lacing their fingers together in her lap.

"My dad's in the army. Protective fathers are nothing new for me," she reminded her with a shrug, and rested her head on Paige's shoulder.

"So what do we do now?" Paige sighed.

"I'm going to go take a cold shower," Emily chuckled, turning and placing a kiss to Paige's cheek, "and I believe you said something about donuts and coffee?"

"I did. What's your pleasure?"

"Well since I can't have you dipped in sugar, I guess I'll take something chocolatey," Emily joked with a smile and another kiss to Paige's lips.

"You can have me dipped in whatever you want," Paige replied, "once things settle down and we're back home, I promise. We'll have a date night just for us. Just you and me and amazing food and a nice bottle of wine. No interruptions. Just us," she promised.

"It's a date," Emily smiled, "please go get donuts. Before I change my mind and your dad comes in here and breaks my neck,"

Paige laughed, kissing Emily once more and standing from the bed.

"I should probably get dressed before I go," she realized, looking around for where they may have thrown her suitcase in an exhausted daze when they finally made it to the room.

"Not a bad idea," Emily chuckled, getting up and heading toward the bathroom, "see you in a little while,"

* * *

"Well, well, well," Owen muttered weakly through a grin as Paige finally strode into his hospital room, paper bag from the donut shop in hand,"look who finally rolled out of bed,"

Paige couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at his teasing, happy to see him awake and alert. She stepped over to his bedside, leaning down and giving him a gently hug, careful to avoid the bruising on his chest.

"How are you feeling, dork?" she asked after she let go, pulling a chair close and sitting next to his bed.

"I've been better," he smiled, "leg hurts like hell but the morphine helps,"

"I bet. Where's Brit?" Paige wondered.

"Bathroom. That better be for me," he said, gesturing toward the bag in Paige's lap.

"You up to eating?"

"You know I am. Act like I ate the breakfast they sent me this morning. Plain oatmeal and poached eggs," he explained, establishing his point with an exaggerated gag, "ain't exactly French toast ala Paige,"

"Alright, have at it," she laughed, shoving it into his hands, "two strawberry frosted, and a milk. The Owen breakfast special,"

"Thanks, Paigey," he replied, tearing into the bag and tearing off half his first donut with one bite, "I heard Emily's here with you? Where's she at?" he asked through a mouthful.

"Talking to mom and dad. I wanted to make sure you were feeling okay before I brought her in," she explained.

"I'm fine, she could've come in with you. She can't have my donuts though," he winked.

"She doesn't want your donuts," Paige laughed, pulling out her phone to text Emily that it was okay to come back to the room, "she had her own,"

"It was really cool of her to come all the way down here with you. How was your first real date?" he wondered.

"You're such a girl sometimes," she rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"Oh come on. Act like you weren't dying to tell me," he pried.

"It was...magical," she said with a dreamy sigh, "she gets me. Even the things I don't get about myself, she gets, you know? She knows when I need to eat, when I need a break, when I doubt myself she already knows I can do it, whatever it is…" she rambled.

"You learned all that on the first date?"

"Yeah, so? Our first date is still kind of going on," she laughed.

"Sorry about that," he replied bashfully and Paige shook her head.

"Don't be sorry. I'm just glad you're alright. I was so...it was...I never thought…" Paige rambled, unable to help a few tears from squeezing out and rolling down her cheeks, "I thought by the time we got here...they were going to tell me you died,"

"Paige…"

"I never thought about that before last night, you know? I mean, people die. I get that. Nan and Pap, they died. Uncle Vince died. But...I never stopped and thought, one day my brothers could die. And when I had to think that...had to feel that...it was the worst thing I ever felt. I thought about the last time we talked. And I wondered if I told you I loved you," she sniffed, "I don't think I told you I loved you, Owen. And you could've died thinking I didn't,"

"Paige are you nuts? I know you love me, you don't have to tell me every time we talk. You're my best fucking friend, you know that,"

"And even if you wouldn't have made it, and the last conversation we ever had was about buffalo wings, that would've been okay with you?" she cried.

"Of course. Because that's what we do, Paige. We talk about food, and we eat food, and we talk about baseball and hockey and wrestling, we go fishing and play poker and sing Springsteen and Eagles songs at the top of our lungs. We play fantasy football and tease each other and laugh until we can't breathe. And it all sounds small and dumb, but it isn't. And I think, eventually when it's my time to go, and I'm laying in a bed like this, or standing at the pearly gates or whatever, and I think about my sister, that's the stuff I'm gonna think about. And that's gonna make it okay, because those things are us, Paige. I wouldn't trade that for anything in this world," he soothed, and Paige choked a laugh through her tears.

"Come on, give me a hug," he continued, and Paige stood from her chair enough to hug him, gently wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Thank you for not dying," she mumbled.

"My pleasure," he laughed, and Paige pulled back, wiping her tears off on the back of her hand.

"Everything okay?" she heard behind her, turning and seeing Emily standing tentatively in the doorway.

"Yeah, everything's good. Come here," Paige waved her in, and Emily glided over to her, not hesitating to pull Paige into a hug.

"Hi," she whispered against Paige's neck.

"Hi. I'm okay," she replied, and with that Emily pulled back, and turned to Owen.

"How are you feeling?" she asked through a sweet smile.

"Like a million bucks," he grinned, reaching his arms out, inviting Emily in for a hug, which she gladly accepted, "good to see you again, Emily,"

"You too, though maybe just dinner or something next time?" she laughed.

"Deal. Us McCullers have always had a flair for the dramatic,"

"I've noticed," she chuckled as she pulled away, smiling at Paige, who was grinning like a fool. Emily and Owen talked like they'd known each other for years.

"Alright, alright. Before we start playing rag on Paige, I'm dying of thirst. You want anything else there, donut dude?"

"Yeah, if you could maybe find a nurse to come deal with this catheter situation? That might be cool," he shrugged.

"Hmm...maybe leave those kind of conversations to Brit?" Paige chuckled, "I think I'm more the 'sneak you a Kit-Kat from the gift shop' lady in your life,"

"Oh, yeah that's better. Make it two," he smiled.

"You got it. Anything for you, Em?"

"Just some water would be fine," she replied.

"Sure," Paige nodded, and with a kiss to Emily's lips she scampered out the door toward the cafeteria.

"I'm glad you're okay, Owen," Emily told him, sinking down into the chair next to his bed.

"Thank you, Emily. For everything, I mean. Being here with Paige. I worry about her enough when I'm not unconscious having my leg carved apart. It means a lot to know you were with her then. I'm sure she was freaking out,"

"Yeah. She's strong, though. Seems like that's just something all you McCullers have in common, too," she shrugged.

"Guess so. Usually I get real 'big brothery' the first time somebody kisses Paige in front of me, but lucky for you I'm on morphine and I happen to think you're really good for my sister, so I think we can take a pass for now," he winked.

"I appreciate that," Emily laughed in reply.

"Did my dad read you the riot act yet?"

"No...but your wife did," Emily admitted.

"Sounds about right," he barked a laugh, "she's just as protective as the rest of us. Hope you know what you're in for,"

"I'm up for anything being with Paige brings my way. She's worth it," Emily smiled.

"Cheers to that,"

* * *

"Okay so, call me as soon as you get home okay? Like don't even get out of the car until you let me know you're safe, promise?" Paige pleaded as her and Emily prepared to part for the first time in over twenty four hours.

They had visited with Owen and Brittany for a few hours, and even grabbed a quick bite for lunch in the cafeteria. And while Paige would be spending another night in the hotel before Owen was to be released the following morning, it was time for Emily to hit the road back to Philadelphia, and spend time with her parents before her father's departure.

"Of course. I promise,"

"Okay. And you can keep the car for the week if you want to. Don't worry about it. I'll probably be back Thursday or so," Paige continued.

"You sure that'll give you enough time with your menu?" Emily wondered, her head tilting to the side in worry.

"Yup. I figured I may as well cook for Brit and Owen while I'm down here, why not try my menu on them? I'll do my dry runs down here and be ready for Courtney by Friday," Paige grinned excitedly.

"I am so happy you figured it all out. I wish I could stay down here and hang out with you guys, and taste test for you," Emily pouted, wrapping her arms around Paige's neck.

"Me too," she replied, and leaned forward for a kiss, "but this will be my rough draft. You'll get the perfected, laminated version at home. Besides, you have to spend time with your dad. Me and Owen are just going to be watching movies and playing video games, probably," she shrugged.

"That sounds like fun,"

"Well they're moving back to PA before the summer's over. We'll get to do something with them, I promise. Maybe we'll have a beach day, or another cookout or ball game or something,"

"I like that idea," Emily smiled, stealing another kiss, "double dating. Makes us sound so coupley," she giggled.

"Mmm. I promise, I'll be a lot more fun once this whole Philly Gourmet thing is over,"

"Paige, you're plenty of fun. Sitting in a hospital room is never fun, and somehow with you and Owen and Brittany, all teasing each other and telling me stuff you did as kids...my ribs hurt from laughing. You've got a big day coming up, I'm not holding it against you. Mostly cause I know you're going to crush it. And you'll live in infamy as the chef who taught Courtney Calloway what food really is. You're going to be a legend," Emily gushed, and Paige couldn't help the ear-to-ear smile that spread on her face.

"And legends never die," she chuckled, and Emily laughed too.

"Legends never die,"

* * *

Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. As always thank you for the reads and follows and kind words, they really do keep me going!

Paige's shower sing-a-long was brought to you by the Go Go's concert I went to Saturday night! Song is called Our Lips Are Sealed, in case you don't recognize. Oldie but a goodie.

Also I'm sure lots of Paily fans saw the sneak peak of Paige's return to PLL! How exciting?

I love you guys to the moon and back! Thank you! Please let me know how you liked this chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

Due to traffic, it had taken Emily almost three hours to get back home to Philadelphia. It was already approaching dinner time when she had finally gotten back to her house, deciding for the sake of time just to keep Paige's car rather than switching it out for her own where they had left it at Paige's apartment. No doubt Pam was getting antsy waiting for her, wanting her home for dinner.

She had felt bad, leaving Paige in Delaware. Though Owen was doing okay, and just a drowsy version of his normal silly, loveable self, it didn't mean Emily didn't want to still be there for support. She also would've loved the chance to spend the time with Paige and her brother together. She could already picture them, camped out in the living room, Paige undoubtedly doting on Owen and making sure he kept on his med schedule and had his casted leg elevated at all times, scarfing down pizza and watching sports, teasing each other and laughing late into the night until Brittany would hush them and coax everybody to bed. She pictured Paige waking up early to make nice breakfasts, and cleaning the kitchen top to bottom so they wouldn't need to worry.

Though she was a little bummed she wouldn't be there with them, she was grateful Paige would have a distraction for a few days. While it was true, a good night sleep had calmed her down immensely about her upcoming interview, Emily had a feeling somewhere deep down, Paige might still be harboring some nervousness about the whole ordeal. She knew spending time with Owen would be good for her, and hopefully she'd be coming back to Philly relaxed and loose, ready to blow Courtney Calloway right off her chair.

She had texted Paige upon pulling into the driveway, like she promised, and returned the wave she received from her father where he sat on one of the front deck rocking chairs. He was dressed in simple plaid shorts and a pale blue 'UNC Basketball Dad' t-shirt, the one Emily had sent him for Christmas, and was relaxing with a beer, reading the paper.

"Hi dad," she smiled at him as she made her way up the front steps, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her father's cheek.

"Emmy," he replied. He closed the paper and lay it in his lap, giving his daughter his full attention as she sank in the chair next to him with a tired sigh, "how's Paige's brother?"

"He's okay. Just a broken ankle and some cuts and bruises. They're letting him out tomorrow as long as he gets through the night okay," she explained.

"That's good," he nodded, patting her on the knee, "she let you drive her Jeep all the way back here by yourself?"

"I was careful. Traffic was so bad,"

"Monday afternoon rush hour," he surmised, and she nodded in agreement, "you okay? You look tired,"

"Three hours in a car by myself," she shrugged.

"Better get to bed early tonight then," he suggested, "tough day tomorrow,"

"Yeah,"

"You know I wouldn't go if I didn't have to, Emmy. I'm going to try to get more time off this go around. I want to come see your school again. I haven't seen it since your first tour. Now that you really know the place I'd love to see everything. Where you train, where you study, where you hang out with your friends. Maybe even break away long enough for a swim meet or a basketball game? I'm really going to try, Emmy,"

"Parents' weekend is in October. Maybe if you tell them ahead of time they'll let you come? I can print the flier down from the website. It's really fun. Mom came down for it last year. There's a carnival on campus and tours and a big football game. Mom even let me paint her face blue. Well, I painted a blue football on her cheek. But still," she explained with a chuckle.

"Now that I have to see," he laughed back, "print the flier for me. I'll do everything I can…"

"But no promises," she sighed.

"I'm really sorry, baby. I'll try my best,"

"Maybe you can make it home for Thanksgiving this year? Or my birthday?" she pleaded, an almost desperate look on her face as she scrambled for any hope she could hold onto before her father left again.

"Don't you think you'll be having Thanksgiving with Paige? And surely she'll want to take you out for a nice birthday dinner or something,"

"Daddy, we've only had one date. I mean, I hope so, but I don't know. Her family is all about tradition. It might be too new, I might not be invited for Thanksgiving," Emily shrugged.

"Well you're dating the chef, I have a hard time believing you don't get an invite," he chuckled.

"I guess you're right. It would still be nice if you were home, though. You can't tell me the pumpkin pie down at the base mess hall is as good as mom's," Emily pointed out with a grin.

"Mmm…" he replied, his stomach growling at the thought…"I definitely will be missing your mom's cooking this time tomorrow," he laughed, "now that you found yourself a girl who can cook you know what I mean, huh?"

"I think it's vital to my survival," Emily barked a laugh, "or else I'd either be living off pizza and mac & cheese, or I'd have to depend on mom forever,"

"Yeah. You definitely got my end of the gene pool as far as that goes," he chuckled in response, "but you got your mama's looks and brains, so you made out pretty good,"

"Paige got all three," she sighed dreamily, "looks, brains, she cooks...she's funny and sweet and hard working…"

"She's the whole package huh?" Wayne asked, enjoying the lost look in his daughter's eyes, and feeling comforted at the fact that just the thought of the girl seemed to ease Emily's tension away.

"Yeah," she smiled.

"Good,"

"I should go help mom set the table. What's for dinner?" she asked, standing out of the rocking chair with a yawn.

"Barbecued chicken and salad. Think I saw mom putting a pie in the oven earlier too," he told her with a wink.

"Mmm. Okay. Love you dad. What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"Love you too baby. 11:30," he reminded her, and with a nod and a sad smile, she disappeared into the house.

* * *

"How's your soup, honey?" Val asked, watching as her daughter ate ravenously across from her. It had been a long day at the hospital, and while they had all been allowed in Owen's room for a while and they had shared a nice visit, he had quickly tired out and asked his family for some peace and quiet with his wife.

Nick had opted to head back to the hotel room for some shuteye himself, leaving Paige and Val on their own for dinner, with explicit instructions to bring some takeout for him and Brittany to eat when the nursing staff undoubtedly kicked her out for the night.

After a short search around the surrounding area of the hospital, they had settled into a quaint tavern that Paige had suggested after noticing they had clams on special. She had already drained two glasses of white wine, and though she was tempted to order a third, the arch of her mother's eyebrow from across the table had cautioned her to switch to iced tea.

She was slurping at her bowl of French onion soup happily, a platter of steamers in between them, and a few cheeseburgers on the way. Paige was definitely missing Emily, but enjoying her mother's undivided attention for the first time since she could remember.

"It's good," she replied, looking up and licking her lips, watching as her mom shucked a clam from it's shell and dipped it into butter, "clams are good huh?"

"They are very good. Good idea," she smiled at her daughter.

"You and dad heading home tomorrow?" she asked, digging back into her soup.

"We'll see. I want to make sure your brother settles in okay at home. Make sure Brittany doesn't need a hand with the housework at all," Val replied, taking a sip of her drink.

"I'll be here, mom. If you want to go home you should. Dad must be worn out if he'd rather sleep than eat,"

"He'll be fine," she rolled her eyes, "he's probably not even sleeping. He probably wanted to watch baseball for an hour in peace,"

"Yeah maybe," Paige laughed. She could picture him propped up in the hotel bed, a beer balancing on his chest as he provided color commentary on the game to absolutely no one.

"Besides, you shouldn't be lingering down here too long, either. You've got a big week coming up. Owen wouldn't want you unfocused because of him,"

"I guess so. I thought spending time with him and Brit might help me relax," she shrugged.

"Well maybe. Just don't get yourself all rushed and upset," she warned.

"I think I have it figured out. I haven't slept since I found out about all this, until last night in bed with Emily. I was out like a light and slept like a baby," she explained, and Val nodded with a tight smile.

"That's all that went on though? Sleeping?"

"Mom," Paige groaned, rolling her eyes, "Brittany was in the room with us. Besides, it's only been one date,"

"Well, I'm just checking," she defended, "there's a lot of chemistry there. She was there for you in your time of need, that alone could be enough of a spark...but I'm glad. I'm glad, you shouldn't rush these things,"

"I don't rush... _that_ , mom," she groaned. Her cheeks were reddening in embarrassment and she felt herself sinking lower into the wooden booth.

"Oh really? Not even with Kelsey?"

"Kelsey...geeze, mom that was forever ago. And it was different. It's different with Emily. Trust me. I like her so much, I don't want to mess it up. There's still too many nerves there," Paige explained, suddenly a little less embarrassed and a little more lost in thought.

"Hmm. Sounds about right," Val nodded at her youngest child, quite amused as she squirmed in her seat across from her.

"Really?"

"Of course. You always have those first time jitters with someone special. You want to hear about me and your dad's first time?" she asked, and Paige's eyes all but bulged right out of her skull.

"Never ever," Paige insisted, shaking her head side to side rapidly, and Val laughed heartily.

"I didn't mean details, goofball,"

"Mom, you know I totally ship you and dad, but there's just some stuff that'll make my ears bleed, you know?" she replied with a chuckle.

"Fair enough. I'll just say this, don't be too hard on yourself. Don't be one of those girls that sprinkles rose petals all over the room or tries to be someone you're not. When it's right, you know it," she advised and Paige nodded.

"You and dad were pretty much in love right away, right? Like after your first date you weren't thinking about other guys or anything?" Paige asked.

"Not really. Your dad made me laugh. We had fun. It's not like I was dating a lot at the time, anyway. I was working at the pharmacy during the day and the gas station at night. Honestly I almost didn't even go to the game where I met your dad. I wasn't feeling too great that day and almost cancelled but couldn't get anyone to take the ticket and didn't want to waste it, so I went," she explained with a smile.

"How about that for luck," Paige grinned.

"More like fate, I think. Sometimes people show up in your life at exactly the right moment, you know? That's how it was with your dad. I was young and aimless, working really hard to support myself but going nowhere fast. Next thing I knew, I met the guy of my dreams, and a year later I was married with a baby on the way. And it never would've happened if it weren't for the blizzard during that game," she recalled, patting her daughter's hand from across the table.

"So you don't think you and dad would've met eventually? If it weren't for that game and that blizzard?"

"I'm not sure. It's a big city. Maybe we would've met at some point, we'll never know. I needed him then, though, so I like to believe it was fate,"

"Yeah. I like that," Paige nodded, "I know it's early, but I think Emily is that for me too, you know? Stuff has been crazy at the restaurant since New Years. Chrissy is just a nightmare, and everything that was going on with Kelsey...and I was just ignoring it. Just telling myself that that was my life and how it was supposed to be, you know? It's like I just gave up, I settled and stopped wanting more for myself for a while you know? Like I still wanted more...but I was too tired to actually do anything about it, you know? I guess I didn't realize I deserved better until Emily showed up," she explained with a shrug, and her mother nodded intently as she listened.

"It makes me really sad that you felt you had to live that way, honey. You're so young, and so talented. Seems you would've been better off single than with Kelsey," she surmised and Paige shrugged.

"It wasn't bad the whole time. In the beginning it was fun for sure. And we had our good times later on, too. It was just...she really thought she was the boss of me you know? She'd never come out and say that, but in hindsight it was so obvious. I'd come home from a long day, and my back and feet would be killing me. All I'd want to do is take a shower and have some dinner in front of the TV. But she'd always have made plans for us to go out to a bar or have people over for drinks and food...which was okay sometimes. But not all the time. I just got so worn out, you know? She even found a way to get what she wanted out of me, even when she said she was putting me first. Even on my birthday, I'd pay for everything. I don't think she did it on purpose," Paige sighed, and took a sip of her iced tea, "she had a shit childhood. Her mom died right in front of her. Maybe she felt she had to do those things because the people she didn't boss around always walked away from her," she guessed.

"Maybe. She should get help, if that's the case. She'll never have a happy relationship treating people the way she treated you. You're sensitive and loving and you put up with it because you wanted her to be okay. Not everyone is that understanding," Val replied.

"You're probably right. You and dad never had problems like that?" she asked, though the smile she received in response told her everything she needed to know.

"Never. We loved spending time together, but he knew when I needed a break, knew when I just wanted to spend time with my friends, or I just wanted to catch up on some sleep. It wasn't all that often to be honest with you. I think that's part of how I knew he was the one, you know? Because even when I'd call him and ask for some alone time, an hour later I'd end up missing him," she explained.

"Yeah, I get that now. I can't wait to see Emily again. I'm probably going to be a mess when she goes back to school,"

"Well, take it one day at a time. You've got a lot going on to keep your mind off that for now. Emily seems to really be pulling for you with this whole Courtney Calloway thing," Val replied.

"Yeah, she is. She knows how big it is," Paige agreed. A smile came across her face again as she thought of Emily, and she seemed to get lost in it as the waitress came along, sliding a burger and basket of fries to each of them.

"There you are loves," she announced with a smile, and a wink at Paige, "anything else I can get for you right now?"

"Yeah actually, can we get two more of these to go? " Paige smiled back, remembering that they had to bring food back for Brittany and her father.

"Will do. Holler if you need anything else cutie pie," she winked again before heading off to tend to her other tables.

"Looks good," Val said as she cut the large burger in half, "something tells me we're going to be getting a phone number on the back of our check," she laughed, pinning Paige with a look.

"She works for tips, mom. She probably flirts like that with everyone," Paige chuckled back, not bothering to cut her burger, opting instead to just take a big, messy bite.

"Whatever you say, _cutie pie_ ,"

* * *

After dinner, Paige had bid goodnight to her parents across the hall and had settled into bed, a bottle of wine she had sent up from room service already half drained, the small television tuned into the cooking channel, and a notepad in her lap.

Truth was, she'd probably be cooking up a storm if she wasn't stuck in a hotel room, but for now she had settled on scribbling her menu down on the small pad provided on the hotel night stand, writing so fast her brain could hardly keep up. After spending the day with family, and the talk she had with Emily that morning, she had full confidence in her plan, deciding that rather than cooking to impress someone she didn't know, she'd try to cook things she'd hope to see on a menu if she were the one sitting in the dining room.

It was risky. She knew that. Some food writers were stuck up, pretentious and just plain old mean. There was definitely a chance, given that Courtney Calloway and Christina were friends, that their taste in food was similar, and their personalities as well. This worried Paige, but she would've rather gone down swinging than cook like a fraud.

It wasn't long before Paige heard a keycard slide into the door slot, and the door swing open, Brittany entering the room.

"Hey," she greeted Paige tiredly, throwing down her bag and dropping down onto the empty bed dramatically.

"Hi. Owen good?" she asked, without looking up from her notes.

"Yup. Sleeping. What are you writing?"

"Menu,"

"Cool. You figured it out? Can I see?" she asked, her head perking up.

"Not yet. Once we get Owen home and settled, I'm going to run out to the market, and you guys are getting the first official dry run. If that's okay," she explained, finally looking up from the pad and over at Brittany.

"Of course it's okay! We get to taste test the meal that's going to make you famous!" Brittany exclaimed, "okay, even talking about it I'm starving. I was going to pick off Owen's dinner tray but they had chicken fingers tonight. He inhaled them," she explained with a laugh.

"It's cool," Paige replied, pointing to the paper bag on the tv stand, "picked you up a burger and fries from a place down the street,"

"Nice! Thanks Paigey!" she replied, hopping off the bed and planting a kiss to Paige's cheek before grabbing her bag and falling right back into bed.

"You got it," Paige chuckled, wiping at her cheek with her hand and getting back to work.

"Emily get home okay?" Brittany wondered as she tore into her food.

"Yeah. We've been texting a little. She's having a tough night," Paige explained through a frown.

"It must be really hard," Brittany replied, "I can't even imagine. But I guess if that's all she's ever known?"

"Still hard, though. I'd lose it. I don't even like when my dad goes deep sea fishing. She's lived most of her life with her dad away from her, working around guns and bombs, learning how to defend himself against people that want to kill him. Geeze," Paige rambled.

"At least he's not going back overseas right? Emily told me he runs a training base or something in Texas?"

"Yeah, so that's good. He did two tours in Afghanistan, though, when she was a kid. He's a really cool guy. Real sweet and friendly. Emily's his whole world. It's probably just as tough for him," she shrugged.

"At least you met him before he went back, though yeah? Probably made him feel good to know she has someone here with her when he can't be,"

"Hopefully. Hopefully he knows I won't screw that up," Paige replied.

"Maybe he doesn't know that yet. That's okay, you just have to show him," she shrugged, "I'm sure if he didn't trust you he would've let you know it. Your father definitely would've," she explained with a laugh.

"Ain't that the truth," Paige chuckled in reply, "my mom too. They're both super chill with Emily,"

"Maybe that's a good sign?" Brittany replied, "Val definitely gets her hackles up when someone new comes sniffing around her pups. _Especially_ you,"

"Tell me about it," Paige laughed.

"Are we drinking?" Brittany asked, gesturing toward the bottle of wine on the night stand.

"Just to help me sleep," Paige shrugged, "you can finish it off,"

"Don't mind if I do," she grinned, leaning over and washing down her last bite with a few gulps right out of the bottle.

"Damn. Greasy cheeseburgers in bed and ripcording Pinot Grigio right out of the bottle with my parents across the hall. Feels like high school again," Paige declared and Brittany laughed.

"Think they knew I'd sneak into Owen's room after they fell asleep?"

"Val knew all, Brit. We called her the warden for a reason," Paige laughed. She finally set her pad and pen on the nightstand and settled under the covers.

"Damn. Here I thought I was being all sneaky,"

"You could've just waited until morning to see him," Paige replied.

"I couldn't," she shook her head adamantly through a smile, "that boy was like crack to me. He still is,"

"Ay yi yi," Paige rubbed at her eyes with a chuckle, "two sips of wine and you're a hot mess,"

"Yeah, yeah. It's been a long day," she replied, taking another long pull on the bottle.

"Mmhmm. At least we get to bring him home tomorrow," Paige reminded her, and was interrupted by her phone buzzing. She picked it up from where it was charging on the nightstand, noticing it was a Facetime request from Emily.

"Emily wants to Facetime," she announced, not really waiting for an answer from Brittany when she accepted the call.

"Hey," she greeted her, Emily propped up in bed just like Paige was. She couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"Hi. How are you?"

"I'm good. Just been working on my menu and hanging out with Brit. How about you?"

"I'm...drained. Dad and I talked for a while. He's really leaving tomorrow you know?" she frowned, and Paige frowned back.

"Yeah. Yeah I know,"

"I miss you," Emily pouted, "you look so cute. I was in that bed with you last night,"

"Yeah. I miss you too. I'll be back before you know it," she promised.

"I know. Did you eat dinner?" Emily asked.

"Yup. Mom and I went to this little tavern. Had clams and a burger. The waitress was flirting with me. You should've seen my mom's face," she told her with a laugh.

"Do I have to come back down there?" Emily asked, though she was grinning.

"No. But I love that you want to," she replied.

"I want to be the only waitress flirting with you," she joked, "I know that's a lot to ask of the cutest chef in the whole world,"

"Don't worry. The cutest chef in the whole world only has eyes for you," Paige grinned, and Emily practically melted, returning the smile.

"Call Hanna when you get a free moment okay? She's been really worried about you. I told her you're doing okay but she wants to hear your voice," Emily requested.

"I'll call her tomorrow," she agreed.

"You are doing okay right? You look good, you look relaxed," Emily observed.

"I am good. I wish you were here but I'm relaxed. I had some wine, and dinner with my mom was really nice. We talked a lot. Got a lot off my shoulders," she explained, and Emily smiled.

"Good. The Phillies are winning. 4-1," she replied and Paige couldn't help but giggle.

"That's so hot," she replied, "my girl who didn't know squat about baseball a few months ago, calling me up and telling me the score,"

"I can't help it. I like the sound of it now, having baseball on in the background. I can't watch a whole game on TV but having it on for the noise is nice. Reminds me of you in that cute jersey. How happy you were eating those hot dogs. How excited you were when we got that foul ball," Emily recalled.

"You got that foul ball," Paige replied happily.

"It was your lucky glove," Emily shrugged.

"Being there with you was the best part of that day. I'd love to go again if you're up for it. Just you and I this time. Or we could double with Owen and Brittany? Whatever you want,"

"I'd love to," Emily smiled.

"Cool. I'm really starting to feel this wine. Mind if I call it a night?"

"Not at all. I just wanted to call and say goodnight. I'm going to sleep too,"

"Okay. I'll be up early so just call me if you need. Seriously. I want to be here for you tomorrow, anyway I can. I am here for you, you know that right?" Paige pleaded.

"I know. Don't worry. I'm sure I'll be calling you a crying, hot mess by lunch time,"

"It'll be okay. I promise," Paige told her, and somehow even though people had said that to her for her entire life, every time her father left, this was the first time she believed it.

"I know. Okay...get some sleep okay? I'll call you tomorrow,"

"Okay. Sweet dreams,"

"You too, Paige. Goodnight," she smiled, and with that she disappeared from the screen.

"Well aren't you two cute?" Brittany gushed from beside her, "I'm going to take a shower. I'm ready for bed too. Thanks for dinner,"

"You're welcome," she answered, plugging her phone back into the charger and settling down with her head on the pillows, "I'll probably be passed out when you get done, so goodnight,"

"Night Paigey," she replied, and on her way to the shower flicked off the light. Paige was out in minutes.

* * *

Hi again guys! I'm on my last day of vacation and wanted to get one more chapter up while I was in the zone. Hopefully you guys like. I really have fun writing Paige's family, so let me know if that's something you guys enjoy too!

xoxoxoxoxo


	14. Chapter 14

"Okay. So this...is a Kobe beef slider, on a toasted roll with bacon, Swiss cheese and a jalapeno- black cherry relish. Maple garlic glazed sweet potato fries on the side," Paige explained excitedly, handing Emily a plate where she sat on Paige's kitchen counter in her apartment, watching her cook like a madwoman.

"Just be honest," Paige continued, kissing Emily soundly on the mouth before returning to work, "Owen and Brit said they loved it. Just tell me if it's too spicy, too sweet, if it works with the Swiss..." she rambled. She was rapidly zesting oranges now, preparing her next dish. Emily was convinced this was heaven on Earth, and wasn't sure she had ever been so turned on in her life.

Without another thought, she picked up the mini-burger, and took a generous bite, almost immediately moaning in pleasure at the flavor.

"Good?" Paige asked hopefully from the stove.

"Amazing," Emily muttered through a mouthful, "It's perfect Paige. The burger and the bacon are smokey, so the sweet cherries and spicy peppers are perfect. The cheese ties it all together. And I like that the bun is a little crunchy," she explained.

"That's what I was going for. You'd order that on a menu?"

"I'd order it, eat it and then order another one to take home," Emily smiled before tearing off another bite, "only you could put cherries on a burger and make it work,"

"Awesome. Thanks," Paige replied, mentally checking the dish off in her mind as Courtney-ready. It was the night before her big review, and upon returning from Delaware she had immediately hit the market to shop for supplies and asked Emily to come back and spend the night. Emily hadn't thought twice.

"What are you working on now?" Emily asked.

"The glaze for my shrimp. I'm making these shrimp tacos I made for Brittany's birthday one year. Shrimp with an orange-ginger glaze. Avocado, cilantro, queso fresco..." she rambled.

"Yum," Emily replied, "you are so sexy right now,"

"Oh yeah? I don't even have my coat on," Paige laughed.

"Doesn't matter. Who needs porn when I can just look at you holding a spatula?" she purred, handing Paige back an empty plate.

"You find strange things sexy" Paige chuckled.

"What do you find sexy?" Emily asked teasingly.

"You sitting on my counter top in shorts and a tank licking cherry juice off your fingers is pretty high up on the list," she replied with a wink.

"Mmm. Okay don't be all flirty, you have to focus,"

"I'm pretty sure you started it," Paige laughed.

"True. But I don't want to be the reason you don't feel ready. Cook, woman, cook!" Emily teased, poking her in the shoulder, and Paige squirmed away with a laugh.

"So how is Owen? Feeling better?" Emily wondered.

"Lots better. We set him up in the living room, so he's got his games and the big screen TV and he's close to the kitchen. He gets around on the crutches pretty good. We watched a lot of movies, he seemed to be alright. He was playing Madden online with Ryan when I left," she explained.

"Ryan was there?"

"No, he was gonna come, but once we knew everything was okay Owen told the guys to stay put. He didn't want everybody coming down when he would just be home the next day. They were playing online mode, you know? Like you can play against anyone in the world, talk to them through a headset..." she explained. She dumped a bag of raw shrimp into a bowl and covered them in her fresh made glaze, setting it aside.

"Oh. I thought people only did that with Call of Duty or whatever. One of my friends at school does, anyhow,"

"I think you can do it with pretty much anything now. My brothers are so funny with it. I log on sometimes and play them, you'll have to watch. Owen was losing pretty bad; they were just going ape shit on each other. It was funny," Paige explained, shaking her head with a laugh. She headed over to the fridge and pulled a medium sized metal mixing bowl out, uncovering the plastic and dipping a spoon into it.

"Sounds fun. I love that you all stay so close and in touch even when you're apart,"

"Me too. I honestly don't know what I'd do if we couldn't. Taste this," she replied, holding the spoon up to Emily's lips, which she happily accepted. She rolled the contents around on her tongue for a minute, it was sweet and tangy but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"That tastes like dessert,"

"It is. I'm making key lime squares, with Mexican vanilla ice cream. That was the lime mixture. Is it okay?"

"Yeah it's great. What about my tacos though?" she pouted.

"The glaze has to sit on the shrimp for a while before I grill them. I had this chilling before you got here. I'm also going to do a chocolate tart with banana ice cream and a caramel drizzle," she explained.

"Two desserts? You really are swinging for the fences," Emily pointed out.

"I aim to please," she replied with a shrug, "so the lime is good? Not too overpowering?"

"Not at all. I really like it," Emily smiled.

"Cool. Okay, shrimp's marinating, I have to roll out my pasta dough, bourbon tomato sauce is on a simmer...I might be able to take a break..." she discovered, and looked to Emily who was smiling.

"A kissing break?" she asked hopefully.

"Is that all you've been thinking about?" Paige laughed, though she made her way over to the counter, standing between Emily's legs and wrapping her arms around her back.

"What do you think?" Emily husked, resting her hands behind Paige's neck, playing with the loose hairs she found there, "we've been apart for three days, and now I'm in your apartment watching you go all Iron Chef, feeding me the best food I've ever eaten in my life. Do you want me to spell it out for you?"

"I think you should," she replied with a mischievous grin.

"Fine. I would very much like to make out with you now, please," Emily batted her eyelashes dramatically and Paige laughed, swooping in and capturing her lips.

"I would very much like that too," she giggled against her mouth, Emily reaching up into her hair and forcing their mouths back together. It didn't take much before Emily got completely worked up, the taste of the food on both of their lips, Paige's soft tongue working magic in her mouth, and she slid off the edge of the counter, wrapping her legs around Paige's middle and holding on without breaking the kiss.

Paige slid her arms under Emily's ass to better hold the weight, moaning as Emily grabbed the sides of her face and deepened the kiss even further.

"You're so hot," Emily moaned between kisses, "I can't even deal with you you're so hot," and moved on to pressing kisses down Paige's jaw before latching onto her neck, the combination of tongue, lips and teeth on the sensitive flesh almost causing Paige's knees to buckle.

"Oh God..." she moaned in a hushed whisper, throwing her head back in both blind ecstasy and an attempt to give Emily better access. While Emily continued her glorious assault, Paige gained enough wherewithal to begin moving them into the living room, lowing herself onto the sofa with Emily in her lap. She was still sucking mercilessly on Paige's neck, nibbling and then licking over the marks her teeth left behind.

"Hickies..." Paige warned, and Emily giggled against her skin.

"Don't worry. Your chef's coat will cover them. I'm staying low," she panted, returning the kisses to Paige's mouth.

"You're a really good kisser," Paige mumbled.

"Shh..." Emily replied between kisses... "I already know that,"

After a few minutes of sloppy kisses and lusty moans, Emily's hands were resting just above Paige's breasts, Paige's underneath the back of Emily's shirt, fingers dancing up and down her spine, every now and then sliding underneath the clasp of her bra.

"Are you sure I'm not distracting you?" Emily choked out as she finally pulled back for air, her hands staying put on Paige's chest.

"Even the best chef takes a break once in a while," Paige smiled, "besides, this type of...physical activity is good before a big performance. Lowers the blood pressure, gets the jitters out," she laughed.

"I have no idea how you'd know something like that, but happy to oblige," Emily replied, kissing Paige once more, "God you drive me crazy," she groaned as she pulled away, resting her forehead against Paige's.

"Thanks?" Paige giggled, and pulled a hand out of Emily's shirt to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I mean it. You're sexy enough normally. Now seeing you in the zone, badass chef getting ready to blow the doors off Dontana's... I can't deal at all," she laughed breathlessly.

"Seriously? I'm just cooking, Emily,"

"That's all it takes. I'm crazy about you, Paige. Every single part of you," she admitted, and moved her hands up to cup Paige's face. Paige smiled back at her, but frowned when she was a tear trickle out of the corner of her eye.

"Hey...hey, no, you're crying? What's wrong?" she asked, and reached up, catching the tear with her thumb.

"Nothing. I'm just really happy,"

"Okay...well don't cry. I'm really happy, too. You're the girl of my dreams, Em. I wouldn't be in the zone if it weren't for you. I want to do well tomorrow, for me of course but also for you. I want to make you proud of me. I want you to see what I can do just as much as Courtney Calloway. I want this to open doors for me so we can go through them together," Paige explained, stroking Emily's cheek gently with her thumb.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really," she chuckled.

"Okay," Emily smiled back, kissing Paige once more and then pulling back again, "Okay but we should get back in there. I believe you still have a few courses to go and I'm still starving,"

"Damn, you're strict," Paige laughed.

"Just preparing you for tomorrow. Come on,"

* * *

The following day, Paige was able to keep the jitters at bay for most of the lunch rush. She had kept that menu the same as always in order to keep things simple and stay fresh for dinner. Now with lunch winding down, and a lot of her prep work done, she had decided to take a walk out to the dining room, to see how clean up was coming and maybe sneak a few minutes alone with Emily before she got slammed again.

There were still a few tables Emily was wrapping up, some finishing dessert, some just sitting and chatting with their drinks. Emily was at the bussing station getting change for one of her customers, Paige smiling at her focus. It wasn't often she got to break out of the kitchen and watch Emily work. For some reason, on a day like today, she found it calming.

"Paige!" Angie, the bartender called her in a whisper shout from the bar, waving her over, "you on break?"

"Kind of. Everything okay?" Paige asked as she made her way over, taking a seat in one of the stools. Angie had been working at Dontana's since it opened, her and Paige becoming friends almost immediately when Paige got the job. A lot of the time, they were each other's sanity when things were tense around the restaurant, keeping each other calm, especially when Chrissy was in town making their jobs almost impossible.

"Got you something for your big night," she replied, reaching under the bar and pulling out an unopened bottle, placing it in front of Paige.

"Huckleberry moonshine?" Paige laughed with wide eyes, "you know I have to run the most important dinner service of my life in a few hours right?"

"One will do you for now," she winked, expertly twisting the cap off and pouring it into two shot glasses, "the rest will be for when we're celebrating tonight,"

"Well, hopefully there will be something to celebrate, but thanks," Paige smiled, taking one of the glasses, and Angie followed suit, picking up the other.

"To you," she winked again, clinking the glasses together and they both threw the shots back.

"Jesus," Paige coughed after she swallowed, wiping her lips on the back of her hand with a chuckle, "that went down like fucking gasoline,"

"Eighty proof," Angie replied with a shrug, "you'll be lovin it later,"

"I bet. Thanks, Ang,"

"Hey, it's the least I could do for my favorite chef. Promise you'll have a job for me when you're some hot shot with your own place?" she asked, clearing the glasses and hiding the bottle back underneath the bar.

"There's nobody else I'd trust to get my customers drunk," Paige laughed, "speaking of, you got something good breathing for Courtney?"

"Don't you worry. I cracked open our best Pinot Noir about an hour ago. It'll pop really nicely with your menu, I promise," she assured her.

"What do you think of it? The menu I mean?" Paige asked, resting her head on her hand.

"Honestly? She ain't gonna know what hit her, girl. And you ain't gonna know what hit you if you don't save me some leftovers," she replied and Paige chuckled.

"Don't worry," Paige mumbled back. She had diverted her eyes across the room and was watching with a dopey smile as Emily was laughing about something with Hanna at the hostess station. She was totally transfixed.

"Damn. Either you can't hold your hooch all of a sudden, or you're one love sick puppy," Angie pointed out with a laugh.

"Probably both," Paige replied, not averting her gaze. Emily still hadn't caught onto her staring and Paige was glad. She was absolutely breathtaking.

"You got it bad, my friend,"

"Look how beautiful she is. How in the world is a girl like that going out with me?" Paige asked.

"Uh, cause you're hot and successful and funny," Angie rattled off with a shrug, "you can cook, you have a sexy car, and like the biggest heart of anybody I've ever met. Want me to keep going?"

"God, no," Paige laughed, "I just mean...fuck, I don't even know anymore,"

"She seems pretty damn into you if you ask me. Get out of your head and enjoy it. You're a catch, girl. If I was into chicks, I would've locked that booty down before Kelsey even saw you coming,"

"Oh yeah? You just think I would've been that easy huh?" Paige chuckled.

"Please. If there's anyone in this place that's a bigger catch than you, it's me. A few shots of that huckleberry moonshine right down the hatch and you would've been putty in my hands," she bragged and Paige barked a laugh. Emily looked up at the sound, meeting Paige's gaze and smiling bashfully.

"You're probably right," she replied, not taking her eyes off Emily.

"She's all kinds of cute, Paige. I'm happy for you. But if she breaks your heart I will end her,"

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Paige chuckled, shaking her head.

"Because we love you, and we don't want to see you be a doormat again. You're the closest thing to a sister I ever had. We're both a little nuts and that's why we get along so well, but I don't want you too damaged. Especially over a girl, okay? When Aaron dumped me for that slut from the gym and I wanted to die, you scraped me up off the ground and made me realize I had to stop dating dirt bags to be happy. So I'm just sayin. If it all works out, and she makes you happy, I'll be your maid of honor, I'll be there when your babies are born, I'll be your biggest fan. But if she hurts you, she'll never meet anyone scarier than me," she explained, and Paige nodded.

"Noted. Thanks Ang. For everything,"

"You bet baby girl," she smiled at her friend.

"Paige," Christina bellowed as she made her way out into the dining room from her office, and Paige rolled her eyes at the sound of her voice, "I'm not paying you to drain my bar. Get your skinny ass back in that kitchen and cook," she demanded, not bothering to even break her gate on the way to the restroom. She had been on Paige's back all day, and wasn't showing signs of backing down anytime soon.

Paige rolled her eyes at her friend, whose jaw hung open in disgust.

"Fucking bitch," Paige muttered, standing from her stool.

"Fuel for your fire, babe. Go be a rock star. Maybe you'll get out of this scum pit and you can tell that fire breathing slut faced demon spawn bitch where to shove it. She's nothing without you, everybody knows it,"

"Yeah. Maybe. Thanks, Ang,"

* * *

By the time four- thirty had rolled around, everyone from Hanna to the dishwashers and Sous chefs had gathered out on the floor for Paige's pre-service menu run down and instructions. She had asked for just a few minutes to freshen herself up, and was now in the parking lot changing into the clean chef's coat she had made sure to throw in her car that morning. On the off chance Courtney Calloway had wanted to meet her before the meal, she didn't want to still be covered in lunch slop. It was the black coat Hanna had gotten her for her birthday, with the lime green piping and lapels. Emily had insisted on it the night before, convincing her that paired with her green bandana, she would look both adorable and badass for her big night.

"I can do this. I can do this," she muttered to herself, staring into the rearview mirror as she buttoned up the coat and set to work rolling the sleeves up to her elbows, "it's just food, Paige. It's just food and she's just a person who likes food. I like food. I know food. I just have to show her that. Owen and Brittany loved it. Emily loved it. I can do this...Emily thinks I can do this. I have to do this..." she rambled. After tying the matching bandana tightly around her head, making sure to tuck any loose hairs underneath it, she checked her reflection one last time and blew out a shaky breath.

She made her way back into the restaurant, through the back kitchen door, and after one last walk through to make sure that everything was in place and ready for her to start cooking as soon as the first ticket came through, she pushed her way through the double doors into the dining room to address the staff.

As soon as she appeared, the dining room erupted in applause, everyone hooting and hollering as the chef took her place, front and center before them. Paige couldn't help the blush that crept up her neck onto her cheeks, and looked down at her feet with a laugh.

"Paige, before you get started," Hanna announced, stepping forward as the noise started to settle down, a bouquet of flowers and a card in her hands, "we all pitched in and got you a little something. It's just Phillies tickets and a gift card for a massage," she explained, handing it over to Paige and kissing her cheek.

"We all love you and we're proud of you, no matter what happens. I know I speak for everyone when I tell you it's really awesome working for you. You're the heart and soul of this place, and we're all super excited and super proud to be a part of your big night," Hanna finished, and everyone started clapping again. Paige looked down at her gifts with a teary smile, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Okay, okay," she spoke out, setting her gifts aside and turning back to the crowd, "thank you guys. You really didn't have to do all that, but I appreciate it. I hope you guys know that tonight isn't just about me. I wouldn't be here without all of you. She's coming to eat, yeah, but she wouldn't have given this place a second thought if her silverware was dirty or the wine tasted cheap or the service was bad. And that's all you guys. We're a team, a family, and where I come from you can do anything with family by your side. This night is for all of us. Okay?"

"Yes chef!" they all replied excitedly.

"Okay then. Good. Hanna, we still booked?" Paige asked, and Hanna nodded.

"Solid, chef. I even have a few people sitting at the bar to eat," she explained and Paige smiled, "Courtney and her guest will be at table ten, with Emily," she finished.

"Good," she repeated, "Alright. Tonight for apps we have three cheese king crab pierogis, sautéed with shallots and bacon, drizzled with horseradish aioli. We also have broiled, stuffed artichokes with roasted red peppers and balsamic glaze. Entrees are an orange-ginger glazed shrimp taco on a hand pressed blue corn tortilla, with fresh cilantro and queso fresco, two Kobe beef sliders on toasted potato buns, just baked this morning, with Swiss cheese, bacon and black cherry-jalapeno relish with a side of maple garlic drizzled sweet potato fries, or a spicy Italian sausage cavatelli with a bourbon tomato sauce. Everything comes with a salad and a bowl of soup, we have our standard carrot bisque and French onion tonight. Dessert is a key lime square and homemade Mexican vanilla ice cream with raspberry drizzle, or a triple chocolate tart with our signature banana ice cream and caramel sauce. I know it's a little different from our usual, but I really think it's going to go over well. Keep your tables happy, keep their bread baskets full, and free refills on everything non-alcoholic tonight. Any questions?"

"No chef!"

"Alright then, everybody. Let's get to work. Make me proud! Oh, and pizza and drinks on me tonight after close!" she shouted, heading back to the kitchen as cheers erupted again.

* * *

A few hours into dinner service, Dontana's was jam packed. Every single table was full, and just as Hanna had mentioned, a few couples had even opted for a seat at the bar to enjoy their meal. Emily was slammed, and hadn't even had a chance to take a break to check on Paige, but judging by the smiles on customers' faces and the empty plates she kept bringing back to the bussing station, it seemed like things were going really well.

She was working five tables at the moment, Courtney Calloway's being one of them, and had already finished up three others and pocketed over $100 in tips. The rest of the staff looked happy and full of energy too, so Emily guessed they were all probably doing just as well.

She had just dropped off appetizers to one of her tables, and after making sure their drinks were topped off, made her way over to check on her most important guest for the evening, Courtney Calloway.

Courtney was a classy woman, well dressed with good posture and incredibly beautiful. For all her good looks and prestige in the city's food scene, though, she was incredibly polite and it was obvious her fondness of Emily hadn't faltered at all since her visit the week before. Emily was incredibly grateful for this, and intended to use every ounce of charm to her advantage to keep Courtney as happy as possible.

"Everything okay here? How were the pierogis?" she greeted Courtney and her guest with a smile.

"They were marvelous, Emily, thank you," she replied, smiling back at her and handing Emily the empty plate.

"You're very welcome. The chef is working on your entrees but I will be back in just a minute with your soups and salads. Can I get you some more wine?" she offered.

"I would love some more," the woman sitting with Courtney announced, handing Emily her empty glass.

"I have a long night ahead of me, could you just bring me a club soda with lime? Lots of ice," Courtney requested, and Emily nodded with a smile.

"Of course,"

"The wine was delicious, though. Be sure to tell chef McCullers it was a perfect pair with the appetizer,"

"I will do that. I'll be right back with those drinks for you ladies," Emily told them, and made her way over to the bar, where Angie seemed just as slammed as the wait staff.

"Hey Em, what can I get you sweetie?" she asked hurriedly as she poured a martini.

"Another glass of the Pinot Noir, and a club soda on the rocks with lime, for Ms. Calloway's table," she replied, placing the empty wine glass in front of her.

"Coming up. They happy?"

"They definitely seem to be so far. Inhaled their crab pierogis," Emily explained with a smile.

"Good. Our Paigey's killing it just like we knew she would huh?" she responded, pulling the cork out of the wine Emily had asked for with a pop and refilling the glass heartily.

"Yeah. She's amazing," came Emily's dreamy reply, and she sighed happily imagining Paige in the back cooking up a storm.

"Okay, honey. We're happy for her, she's kicking major ass, but you gotta stay focused too okay? She needs you. You can get all swoony and smooch on her in a few hours," Angie warned with a chuckle.

"Right. Sorry. Thanks, Angie," Emily replied, taking the drinks and heading back to work. She was loving this night, but she couldn't wait to see Paige when it was all over so they could celebrate together.

* * *

Hi guys! Wow, I can't even believe we're at chapter 14. Six months ago this was just an idea I had, and I never expected anyone to even like it. I hope you guys are having as much fun reading it as I am writing it. I am so grateful for all the support you guys give me every time I post a new chapter! A million thanks! Hope you enjoyed! I hope to update soon! Much more of Paige's big night to come, I promise!  
xoxoxoxoxo


	15. Chapter 15

By the time Paige got her last dessert plate out, she was exhausted in the best way she could imagine. It had been a tough service, and a few times she had to take a breather to shake some jitters out between courses, but overall it went well and she could feel it in her bones. Where she had expected to spend the whole service fretting and panicking, she had actually had more fun than she could remember in her recent past.

Word from the front end staff came back periodically that the meal had gone over with much fanfare from all the customers. The wait staff was making money hand over fist and even Hanna was being bribed with cash to make room even though they were booked. People who had showed up at the steakhouse across the street had seen the line outside Dontana's, and opted to go there instead, to see what the fuss was about.

After cleaning up the grill, washing and packing up her knives, and taking her pots and pans back to the dishwasher, there wasn't much to do but sit and wait. She had poured herself a large glass of ice water, and taken a seat in Christina's office, where a stack of the night's tickets that had already been cashed out were sitting on the desk. She took a few large gulps of her water and began shuffling through the tickets out of curiosity. Most of them were for a few hundred dollars. Every single one, the tip was over twenty. With a smile, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number for her favorite pizza joint, taking another few sips as she waited for them to pick up. She wanted to do something nice for her staff, who had all seemingly went the extra mile on her big night, and regardless of whether Courtney was going to come back here and praise her or tear her to pieces, they had damn near sold out of everything, and Paige was starving.

"Hi, yeah can I place an order for...mmm...twenty pies? Some pepperoni, some extra cheese, some veggie. Mix em up however. Delivery for 447 Burdette Street. Yeah, that's Dontana's. We'll be closing up soon but I'm having a party for the staff so just come in the front, we'll leave it open. Yup. Thanks," she ordered while still looking at the tickets, before hanging up and tossing her phone onto the desk with a sigh.

"Twenty pizzas huh?" Paige heard from the office doorway and her head snapped up, "too bad I'm stuffed to the gills already," It was none other than Courtney Calloway, smiling down at Paige who quickly jumped to her feet.

"Miss Calloway. Hi. Hi there, I uh...I'm sorry, I was just...I was just ordering dinner for the staff. I promised them a pizza party after close. I'm sorry, I was going to come meet you out on the floor in a few minutes..." she rambled, and Courtney held a hand out to stop her.

"Sit down, honey. I saw Christina head to the bathroom and I decided to take my shot and come back here for a few minutes alone with you," she explained, gesturing toward Paige's vacated chair.

"Oh..." Paige replied, slowly sinking back into her seat, and Courtney took the one just a few feet across from her.

"Don't be nervous," she urged as she got comfortable, "I've known that woman my whole life, and I know she's going to try to take credit for that meal I just ate. I know that the way she dressed tonight, and the way she walked around the dining room kissing ass that she thought tonight was about her. I wanted to come back here and make sure you know that she's the only one who felt that way. That was your dining room tonight, Paige. Those plates licked clean that you saw coming back here were all about you, and before we go any further I wanted to make sure you know that. My piece and my interest aren't about Christina, and aren't even about Dontana's. It's about you. Okay?" she explained gently.

"I...but...she...she told me this wasn't about me. Only the restaurant. Only cause you two are friends..."

"She's a giant pain in my ass," Courtney rolled her eyes with a sigh, "we grew up together. We were friends. She hooked up with my boyfriend when we were seventeen. We stopped talking for years. Until she opened up this place and begged and begged me to come write a piece. So I did. I wanted to rip her apart, because she thinks she's a foodie but really knows nothing. She got into this business for all the wrong reasons. But the food was good, so I wrote a nice piece. Now she thinks I worship the ground she walks on, and likes to treat me like she feels the same way so she has an in with the rest of the critics in the city. I play along because...well, it's funny as hell, but also a free meal never goes amiss. Truth is? Nobody can stand that woman. You on the other hand...I've had my eye on you for years," she explained through a grin.

"Really?"

"Mmhmm. Christina acts like we're friends but you know who I'm actually super close with? Joel Wyatt," she replied and Paige perked up.

"Really? From the Institute?"

"Yes. I had dinner here with him a few years back. It was when you first started here, he wanted to come see how things were going for you. Said you were one of his best students. I hadn't been for a while so I tagged along. Had the swordfish and it blew me away. So imagine my delight when I came back just last week and had it again, and it's still just as delicious. Just like me and Joel, and some of the best chefs I know, you're in this business for the art. For the food. I like that. That's why I'm here, Paige. Not to boost Dontana's rating or get more customers in your door. I'm here because I respect your talent. Because I always have an eye out for chefs who have a true passion for their craft," she explained.

"Wow. Well, thank you. That means a lot to me," Paige replied.

"You're welcome. I want to talk about your menu, but not tonight. Have fun with your friends, you deserve it. Come to my office tomorrow, around lunch," she instructed, handing Paige her business card, "we'll go grab a bite and some drinks, and talk it all out. We'll do some pictures for the piece back at the office after,"

"Oh, uh...I have to work tomorrow," Paige winced.

"No you don't. I'll take care of Chrissy, don't you worry," Courtney shrugged off.

"You don't think she'll try to butt in?"

"Why do you think I'm not doing this here? I don't want her near you, trying to tell you what to say. I want the real Paige McCullers. I want the Paige McCullers who had a line out the door tonight, who had people eating at the bar in a five- star establishment, because they were willing to take any seat they could get. Don't worry about Chrissy. I promise you she'll be back here in five minutes telling you to take the day off tomorrow," she winked, standing from her chair and Paige followed suit.

"Thanks for an incredible meal, chef. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. You like Ben's Chowder House? Best seafood in town..."

"Yeah. Yeah I love that place," Paige grinned, and placed her hand over her growling stomach.

"Great. I'll see you around 12. Come to the office first. Address is on the card. Enjoy your pizza party. Have a few drinks, laugh with your friends, and when you get in bed tonight, and this conversation runs through your head a million times, don't second guess. You got someone to go home to?" she asked, and Paige couldn't help the smile that came across her face.

"Something like that," she replied.

"Lucky man or lucky lady?"

"Lady," Paige answered, "actually, Emily, who took care of you tonight,"

"Well then. I guess that makes you both pretty lucky. I had a feeling. She's a superstar, don't you let her go," she winked.

"I don't plan to," Paige replied, biting her lip and looking down at her feet bashfully.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Paige. Come hungry alright? We have a lot to talk about," she requested, reaching her hand out to shake, and Paige gladly accepted.

"I will. You sure you don't want to stay? Have a few drinks? Chrissy will be out of here like a gunshot trying to get laid as soon as she hears things went well. And after she counts her money, of course," Paige chuckled.

"I appreciate the offer, hon. But I'm actually running a little late for date night in with my fiancée. He's been out of town for work and just got back about an hour ago. Otherwise he would've been with me tonight," she explained, and Paige nodded.

"Oh. Right, yeah. That's cool. Okay, then I'll see you tomorrow,"

"See you then. Have fun," she smiled, and like that she was gone. Paige blew out a long shaky breath, flopping back down into her chair dramatically as if she had just sprinted thirty miles.

It had gone well. More than just well by the sound of things. Her risks had paid off and all her worrying meant nothing. There wasn't a way to measure the amount of relief Paige felt in that moment, and as she stood, beginning to unbutton her chef's coat as she made her way to the dining room, all she could think about was laughing the night away with her friends, drinking a few cold beers and tearing into a few slices of piping hot cheesy pizza, and of course celebrating with Emily before heading back to her place for the night and crashing together.

As she pushed through the double doors out into the dining room, she noticed just a few customers scattered about, some of the wait staff cleaning up after tables that had already departed, and Emily at the bussing station, running a credit card for one of her customers.

"Hey," Paige greeted, making her way over to the little alcove where the cash register and other supplies were kept, out of customers' view.

"Hey! I was just finishing up my last table," she replied in a hushed whisper, "I saw Courtney head back to the kitchen. How did it go? It couldn't have been bad, she was smiling the whole night and she cleaned every single plate,"

"It went well. Really great, actually," Paige replied, and stood behind Emily, placing her hands on her hips and pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Mmm...you can't do this to me here," Emily chuckled, still working on cashing out the bill, "You may be done but I'm still working,"

"Do what? I'm just kissing. I think you earned at least a kiss for today," Paige responded coyly, peppering Emily's face and neck with kisses from behind.

"Oh I earned more than a kiss. Believe me. Check this out," she smiled, turning in Paige's arms and reaching into the apron tied around her waist, pulling out a pretty large stack of cash.

"Wow," Paige laughed, taking it from her and shuffling it in her hands, "geeze Em, there's like five hundred dollars here,"

"Five hundred thirty-eight last time I checked. Courtney gave me a hundred herself!" she explained excitedly, "tonight's tips alone are enough for my books probably!"

"That's great. She really does like you. All the times I've been reviewed, my wait staff isn't a big part of the piece, but you? She can't get enough,"

"Well, I'm glad she was happy. She wasn't back there long, though. I thought she had to interview you and take pictures?" Emily replied.

"Tomorrow. I guess she had plans tonight. Which is fine because I'm exhausted. Ready to have a few drinks and some food," she explained with a shrug. Emily nodded, wrapping her arms around Paige's midsection, under her chef's coat that now hung open over a white tank.

"I'm really, really proud of you. You were amazing tonight," Emily husked.

"Thank you," Paige replied, swooping in and kissing Emily chastely, "do you want to do something Sunday? After all this is said and done, I would love to just...get away with you. We could go to the beach? Lounge around in the sand all day, soaking up the sun? I'll pack us a nice picnic lunch? Then we'll hit the boardwalk for dinner and check out the shops and stuff? What do you think?"

"I think that sounds amazing," Emily smiled, "you sure you don't just want to relax at home? It's been a long week,"

"I'm sure. It has been a long week, but you've been there for me every second. Now that my drama is kind of over, I want to do something nice. Just you and me. No distractions, no interruptions, no fiascos. Just you and me and the beach," Paige rambled through a smile.

"That sounds perfect," Emily sighed happily, "I've been dying for the beach,"

"Me too. Okay, go finish up. I don't want to keep you from your last big tip. Pizza's on the way, I'm just going to finish cleaning the kitchen and try to get Chrissy out of here,"

"Okay," Emily smiled, leaning back in and kissing Paige's lips again, letting it linger for just a moment before heading back to work. Paige sighed happily before heading over to the bar for a much needed drink.

"Hey there she is!" Angie greeted her excitedly, not wasting a second before placing a shot glass down in front of the chef, "please tell me we're ready to start drinking,"

"Please," Paige giggled, stretching her back as she took the same stool she had sat in earlier.

"Girl. That food tonight was so bomb. People were losing their damn minds," Angie praised, filling Paige's shot glass.

"Thanks. Sorry but there isn't anything in the way of leftovers. Hopefully pizza will do the trick? Should be here in an hour or so," Paige replied, and threw the shot back, wincing at its strength as she had earlier. With a few raspy coughs, she wiped her mouth off on the back of her hand.

"Don't sweat it, babe. I may have bribed your girl into sneaking me out an order of those pierogis. Holy shit. So fucking bomb," she said, shaking her head, filling Paige's glass once more.

"You tryin' to get me wasted?" Paige laughed.

"Just takin the edge off. Greasy pizza will soak it right up. Don't worry, I already talked to Emily and she's driving your ass home. You are going to kick back and have fun," she insisted, and with a laugh Paige through back the second shot.

"Just so you know I'm off tomorrow. At least I think so. Courtney wants to work on the piece one on one. Not here, so she's telling Chrissy to give me the day," she explained.

"Woah a whole weekend off for the big dog? Enjoy, girl. Gonna go get interviewed like a damn celebrity," Angie laughed in response.

"Right? I'm so excited. Get to relax on a Saturday afternoon...eat lobster and talk real food with the Princess of Philly cuisine. I'm taking Em to the shore on Sunday. Hell, you may never see me here again," Paige chuckled.

"Good. Fuck this place, girl. You can do better,"

"Yeah, yeah. Well it's paying the bills for now. Just cause she likes me doesn't mean I can just quit my job. It might actually mean I'm stuck here, at least for a while," she shrugged.

"No way. Fuck that. People are gonna eat that article up. Chefs are gonna eat that shit up, they're gonna be blowing your phone up with job offers better than this place. That's what this was all for wasn't it?"

"Yeah..."

"Alright then, think positive. She already ate the food, tomorrow just be you. Charming, sexy, funny Paige. And don't order anything with tequila in it," she warned.

"Why not?" Paige laughed.

"Girl, who you talking to? The one who had to talk you out of a Sonic the Hedgehog tattoo after a few too many on your birthday last year. The one who you Facetimed from the bathtub while eating Cocoa Puffs out of the box and singing me the theme song to Green Acres over and over. You can't handle tequila, love," she recalled with a laugh, and Paige covered her face with her hands with a chuckle and a groan.

"Says the girl pouring moonshine down my throat," she replied.

"Yeah, yeah. It's your big night. You can get a little nuts tonight,"

"Okay, okay. No tequila though," Paige laughed.

"No tequila. Congrats, baby girl. Let's party," she poured Paige's third shot, and one for herself, and together they drank.

* * *

They had celebrated into the early morning hours, and when the pizza was gone and the bar sufficiently drained, all on Paige's dime, Emily had decided it was definitely time to pack it in and get Paige home to bed.

She hadn't gotten out of control, but she was feeling good as she swayed slightly on her barstool, watching as Emily, Hanna and Angie worked on cleaning up the mess and got ready to lock up. Paige was sipping on a glass of water, at Emily's persistence to hydrate herself before bed and avoid a hangover. She had long since shed her chef's coat when the booze had heated her body, her cheeks a deep, rosy red, her hands clammy and warm.

"You good champ?" Hanna asked as she approached Paige, who was grinning and looking back at her through tired, droopy eyes, "no puking in Em's car, right?"

"No puking," Paige nodded with a chuckle.

"Good. In that case I gotta say I missed tipsy Paige. Haven't seen her in a while. Did you have fun?"

"Yup. How good was that pizza?" she slurred, and Hanna barked a laugh.

"It was good. You get some sleep okay? If you wake up hungover and mess up your interview, I'm gonna kick your butt," she warned.

"You're gonna kick my butt?" Paige questioned with a chuckle.

"You bet I will. You're the one that kicked my butt at finals. Told me I could do it when I was freaking out. Helped me study. Hell, if it wasn't for this job I would've had to drop out by now. You make everyone around you better, Paigey. You did that tonight. You united everyone and made us a force to be reckoned with. But tonight you had the band backing you up. Tomorrow's your solo act. So go home, drink lots of water and sleep. Crush it tomorrow. Or...I'll kick your butt," she repeated, her hands on Paige's shoulders to keep her upright and focused.

"I got this," Paige replied, and stood up, stumbling forward into an awkward hug with Hanna.

"You got this," Hanna agreed.

"Everybody ready?" Emily asked as she approached, and Paige perked up at the sight of her, grinning like a fool.

"Yeah, let's get out of here! You want to stop for ice cream? We can stop for ice cream. There's a place right around the corner that has the best soft serve twist with rainbow sprinkles," Paige mumbled and Emily shook her head.

"It's three in the morning. We'll get ice cream at the beach, okay? Right now we need to shower and sleep," Emily replied soothingly, wrapping an arm around Paige's waist as she held her steady and they all began their walk to the parking lot, Hanna hitting the lights and locking up behind them.

* * *

"Are you sure this looks okay?" Paige asked as she came out of the bathroom, presenting her outfit to Emily who was sitting on Paige's freshly made bed, already dressed for work.

Paige had been a tipsy, chattering goofball when they had arrived back at her apartment earlier that morning, and though she had plans on snuggling up with Emily and talking about her day in detail, it was mere minutes after her head hit the pillow that she was snoring softly. Undeterred, Emily had changed into a pair of Paige's sweats and an old t-shirt and curled up in bed next to her, falling asleep pretty quickly herself, her arms wrapped around Paige, her face nuzzled into Paige's neck.

Paige was freshly showered now, just a few hours later, her hair blow-dried and straightened. She was dressed casually, knowing she would just have to throw her chef's coat on for pictures later, in jeans and a pale purple V-neck t-shirt, a black belt and boots completing the outfit.

"Yeah," Emily smiled, standing up to appraise her, bunching up the hem of the shirt in her fists at Paige's waist, "you look gorgeous," and punctuated the compliment with a kiss.

"Mmm," Paige moaned against her lips, cupping Emily's face to deepen the kiss, "just think, this time tomorrow...we'll be on the beach..." she mumbled between kisses.

"Can't wait," Emily whispered, "today will be long to get through though. I mean Greg's great, but Saturday rush without you in the kitchen is going to suck," she pouted.

"It'll be okay. I'll pick you up from work and we'll pack for the beach and start working on these leftovers for dinner. Remind me to bring some over for your mom when we go to get your stuff,"

"She'll like that," Emily smiled and stole another kiss, "what are you gonna do when we eat it all? Actually go shopping for real groceries?" she teased.

"Of course. I am fully capable of being a grown up, you know,"

"I know. Just want to make sure you're not gonna try to live on cereal to avoid shopping," she chuckled.

"Alright, I appreciate the concern, _Val._ You ready for work?" Paige rolled her eyes, though she was smiling.

"Yes. You driving me?" Emily replied.

"Yup. I'll drop you off, and pick you up once Courtney and I are done. We'll come back here and eat, then head over to your place to pack. Then I guess we should go get some groceries so I can pack us a nice picnic for the beach. Sound good?"

"All except for the part where we'll be apart all day," Emily pouted, "but I guess I'll let Courtney have you all to herself while I work. Tomorrow you're mine, though," she warned with a wink.

"I'm always yours, baby," Paige smiled, and pressed a kiss to Emily's cheek.

"Baby?" Emily caught with a grin.

"Oh...do you not...is that okay? I'm sorry it just kind of slipped out,"

"I love it. Don't be sorry," she replied and stole one last kiss.

"Cool,"

"Okay. Let's go, I need coffee and you're out, so we'll have to stop somewhere. And you may be going for a fancy lunch, but I need some breakfast," she said, pulling out of their embrace and leading the way out into the hallway.

"Okay, maybe you had a point about grocery shopping," Paige chuckled.

"I already knew that, _baby_ ," she teased, "let's hit the road,"

* * *

"Mmm...man, this is so great," Paige moaned after tossing a lobster claw dripping in melted butter into her mouth. She set to work on cracking open the second claw as she chewed, savoring the flavor but excited to keep eating.

There were platters spread all around their table, of everything from crab legs to stuffed clams, bacon wrapped shrimp to fried scallops. Smack dab in front of both Paige and Courtney was a four- pound lobster, with a roasted corn cob, homemade baked beans, and potatoes. Paige was in Heaven.

"This is the best lobster I've had outside of New England," Courtney explained, also digging in, "never disappoints,"

"So delicious. Emily would love this place, I should bring her some,"

"Oh you gotta bring her out. The ambience is half the experience. This is a great date spot here in the city," Courtney insisted.

"Yeah, I guess you have a point,"

"Where was your first date?" Courtney asked.

"Uh...Becky's diner...for breakfast," Paige explained with a shrug, "I never had breakfast on a first date before but it was really awesome,"

"Yeah, that place is great. I used to walk there after school when I was a kid for milkshakes and hot dogs with my friends. They do a great breakfast,"

"Best blueberry pancakes around, besides my mom's," Paige grinned.

"Your mom's a good cook too?" Courtney asked, taking a minute to jot something down on the notepad she had brought along for the purpose of her piece. She had jotted down a few things here and there, but mostly was just enjoying Paige's company.

"Yeah. And my dad. They didn't go to culinary school or anything. My nan and pap owned a little luncheonette when my dad was growing up. My pap made soups and sandwiches and stuff, and my nan made homemade jelly donuts and pies. When they started to get older I guess instead of selling it my dad asked to take it over. He had just married my mom, and they already had my oldest brother Jordan, and she was pregnant with Nathan. Kept a lot of the same stuff, but put in a bar and made it into kind of a tavern. McCullers Pub. Mom mostly ran the bar and worked the floor, but there were some things on the menu she came up with. My dad was a beast back in the kitchen. Cheesesteaks and chili and pulled pork nachos...just good bar food. City comfort food," Paige rambled happily.

"Well that certainly explains a lot about you," Courtney observed with a smile, "as many reviews as I've done, nobody ever served me a burger or a taco. Usually chefs try to kiss my ass with a seared ahi tuna or anything with cous cous," she laughed.

"Yeah..." Paige trailed off, licking her lips, "I guess I was trying to go for that same vibe of the Pub, you know? Show you what Philly comfort food is like to a chef who grew up here? Ate this street food, ate tacos and pierogis at the ballpark kinda thing? That's what I was going for anyway..."

"Paige," Courtney reached a hand out, covering Paige's, "don't second guess. I loved it. Every dish told a story, and now hearing your background makes it so much better. You took a lot of risks, but you nailed them all is what I'm saying. And I ate at your parents' place many times back when I was in college. Nothing on a cold Philly night like chili cheese fries and a beer at McCullers Pub. I should've known that was your family. You look just like your mother,"

"You remember my mom?"

"Of course I do. She threw my ass right out of there the first time I tried a fake ID on her in high school. You were probably little then. How old are you? Twenty- three?"

"I just turned twenty-five on the first," Paige explained and Courtney chuckled.

"Hmm, I guess you would've been about ten or so. You're still a pup," she laughed, "are you the baby?"

"Yep. Only girl, too,"

"Yikes. Your brothers in the business?" she wondered.

"God no. They all worked in the restaurant growing up but they weren't all that into it. Just did it for the money. They were all too worried about sports and girls," she recalled with a laugh, beginning to crack apart her lobster tail.

"What about you? What hooked you in?"

"Hmm...I don't know exactly. I remember really liking watching it all when I was little. My dad would let me hang out back in the kitchen and he was so happy. He would dance while he stirred stuff and sing and he just had so much fun. He loved making new things and trying new things. He loved making people happy with food. My mom loved feeding people. They still do. I guess I got it from them. I love feeding people and I love when they love it. I love the smile on people's faces when they gather around the table at Thanksgiving, and the way my brothers all pass out after dinner watching football, rubbing their stomachs cause they're so full. I love the smell and the sound of the grill and the laughter and chaos at a cookout. I don't know how to describe it. For me, food and family have just always gone together, and I love it," she rambled with a shrug. Courtney just simply smiled at her for a moment.

"I think that was a great way to describe it," she gushed, scribbling down something on her pad, "and I think you just came up with a name for my piece," she grinned, holding up the notepad for Paige to read.

 _Food and Family: Philly's Finest Comfort Food_

Paige grinned ear to ear before digging back into her meal.

* * *

Hi guys! Phew, man I worked all day on this chapter, so I hope you like! I can't wait to hear what you think! As always I'm so grateful for every single one of you who take time to read and review this! You are all such a blessing to me, and you keep me motivated to try to make this story better each chapter. Thank you!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi guys! I know it's been a while and for that I apologize. As some of you know I have some issues with really severe migraines. The past month or so hasn't been too kind too kind to me as far as that goes. I've been in and out of the hospital and hardly able to work. Luckily I have an appointment with a specialist in a few weeks so hopefully I can get some answers. I'm still not feeling my best, and so many of you were looking forward to the beach date, I'm just not sure I can do it justice the way I feel right now. So I just wanted to get a little something up, so you knew I didn't abandon this story. Hopefully you enjoy, and I will do my best to update soon. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing and for your incredible support. I am so grateful 3_

* * *

"I can't believe you are going to the beach without me," Hanna whined. She and Emily were sitting on the back loading dock of the restaurant, waiting for Paige to arrive to pick up Emily. It had been a long day at work without her, not nearly as busy as the night before, and while Emily had still made a nice chunk of change in tips, she couldn't wait to see her girlfriend.

"I'm sorry Han. It's just one day. After how crazy things have been, I really just want to get one whole day alone to relax with Paige,"

"Yeah, relax, sure. You just want to get laid," she rolled her eyes. Emily opened her mouth and shut it a few times to object, but eventually a guilty smile and blush spread across her face.

"Okay, I'm not going to deny that...but...that's not what it's about. Nearly every second I've been with Paige she's been in a frenzy. Stuff has been insane for her. But those moments when she lets herself relax...when things are okay and she's calm and happy...gosh, Han. I swear I'm addicted to those moments. I just want one day alone with her. One day full of those moments. Then you and I can go another weekend. Just you and me, before I go back to school. I promise,"

"Fine," she groaned, though she was smiling, "but if you don't bring me back some salt water taffy, you're dead,"

"Deal," Emily grinned back, and patted her friend on the back.

"The fresh stuff, too. From the real candy store. None of the pre-boxed crap. You go mix it yourself. Chocolate. And watermelon. Lots of watermelon," she warned and Emily giggled.

"Done. Thanks Hanna,"

"Mmhmm. You're lucky you two are obnoxiously adorable together," she replied.

"Obnoxiously?" Emily questioned through a laugh, bumping shoulders with her friend.

"Only in a way that makes me hate being single. But you're two of my favorite people and I want you to be happy so it's alright. You're my best friend and I want to be supportive of you getting laid, just like you will do for me when the right guy comes along," she shrugged.

"I told you," Emily chuckled, "it's not about getting laid. Paige is amazing, she's everything I've ever wanted. We're...taking it slow," she explained.

"You're joking right?"

"No...why would I be joking? What's wrong with taking it slow? I'm going back to school in a month, Han. Almost two-thousand miles away from Paige. We'll hardly get to see each other and that's going to be so hard. Hard enough without sex being in the mix. Say we have sex now, and it's amazing. And we go at it every day until I leave. Then before you know it I'm stuck in North Carolina and Paige is stuck here and we're both going crazy. I know me. I can't just eat one cookie, I have to eat the whole box. So I think it may be better to just...stay on my diet for now? I can't miss cookies if I haven't tasted them yet. I don't know. Until we see how long distance feels," she rambled.

"Oh my God," Hanna barked a laugh, "you are such a dork, I can't stand it. Em, your diet doesn't start until the minute you're back in your dorm room. You should be eating cookies around the clock. Binge on cookies while you can. Life is too short, Em. And cookies are too freakin' delicious. Just eat the cookies,"

"Yeah?"

"Definitely. Oh, and nobody's gonna be stuck. Paige was stuck as long as I knew her, until she met you. She's not going to let long distance be a problem. She is insane about you. I saw it last night, at the party. Her eyes barely left you the whole night. Not in a creepy, checkin out your hot bod kind of way. In the damn, I'd follow her anywhere kind of way. She puts the people she loves above everything else in the world. Plus, the girl's hot as hell, and last night she showed a world class chef who the boss is. I think she's earned some cookies herself, don't you?" Hanna replied and Emily sighed through a smile.

"Definitely,"

At that, Paige's Jeep came into sight, the bright headlights reflecting off the metal doors behind them as she tore into the parking lot. She had the windows down and the music blaring. She pulled up right below the loading dock, next to where Emily and Hanna's legs were swaying, put the car in park and killed the engine.

"Hey guys!" she greeted them, hopping out of the car, "sorry I'm a little late. I fell asleep on the couch after I got home and slept a little longer than I wanted to. Then I stopped at the store on the way here to get stuff for dinner and for tomorrow. The lady in front of me in line bought five pounds of chicken wings and paid in change," she grumbled, though the smile on her face was evident, even in the dark. It spoke volumes to exactly what Emily had just explained to her friend, and had her heart fluttering in her chest as Paige made her way up the short flight of concrete stairs and plopped down next to her.

"Hi," she smiled at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and swooping in for a kiss.

"Hi," Emily replied happily, stealing another quick peck before Paige could pull away, "how was your day? Did you have fun? How did the article come out?"

"It isn't done yet, but I think it will be pretty good. I had a really good time. We ate so much food. It was so delicious. The place we went, Em. Geeze. You'll love it. We'll go for dinner one night. Best seafood I ever had. You walk in, and before you even sit down, you can pick the lobster you want,"

"Sounds nice. You may have to pick mine, though. I'm not so sure that's my thing," Emily laughed.

"You got it. What were you guys chatting about?"

"Cookies," Hanna cut in with a grin, shooting Emily a wink she was sure Paige couldn't see, "Emily has a huge craving for cookies,"

"Oh yeah? That sounds good. Maybe I can whip us up some for dessert. Won't be anything fancy but I'll make do with what I got," Paige smiled, "or we could just pick up some Oreos,"

"Not tonight," Emily chuckled, Hanna elbowing her in the ribs at Paige's adorable cluelessness, "I'm really hungry, though. You said something about dinner?"

"Yup. I thought about going out, but the more I thought about it the more I just wanted to have a nice night in and cook something for you. Is that okay?" she replied.

"Well you certainly don't want it the other way around," Emily laughed, "cause if I cooked for you we'd be in the emergency room getting your stomach pumped,"

"Well we don't want that. The beach is calling our names," Paige smiled back, leaning in for another kiss.

"Han?" she spoke as she pulled back, "you want to come over for dinner? Chicken fajitas and salad? There's plenty," she offered.

"Thanks, Paigey, but I'll take a raincheck. This one here hasn't shut up about you once today. I wouldn't want to intrude on date night. Besides, I promised my mom we'd get takeout and catch up on Grey's. Oh, by the way, she sends her congrats. I told her you knocked it out of the park last night. She wants a signed copy of the magazine when it comes out. Told all her clients her kid works for the best chef in Philadelphia,"

"Tell her thank you," Paige smiled.

"Thank her yourself. She keeps bugging me to bring you over for dinner, but with your schedules it's pretty tough," Hanna replied.

"Well, the next time we're both free, count me in. Or us, I guess," she chuckled, tilting her head toward Emily happily.

"It sounds like she just wants you," Emily laughed in reply.

"Don't be ridiculous, Em. You could show up at my house in the middle of the night and my mom would cook you a meal. You don't need an invite. It's your house too," Hanna countered.

"Yeah, Em," Paige cut in, "besides, whoever wants me gets you too. That's the deal,"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yup. My mom won't shut up about you every time I talk to her. The whole time I was in Delaware Owen and Brittany were yapping about the four of us hanging out. Even Courtney wants us to go to brunch with her and her fiancé next weekend. Everyone in my life is just as crazy about you as I am. Pretty sweet deal huh?" she rambled.

"You're in such a good mood," Emily laughed back, cuddling closer into her, "I'm so happy everything is going your way,"

"Me too," Paige husked in reply, and reached up to tuck a stray hair behind Emily's ear, letting her hand linger to stroke her thumb gently across her cheek.

"Okay, you two, I'm out. Go enjoy your night, and have fun at the beach. Em, I'm dead serious about that taffy," Hanna announced, hopping down off the loading dock and turning back to grab her bag and keys.

"Don't worry, Han. I'll get you the biggest box they have,"

"Get home safe, Hanna. Thanks for waiting with Em," Paige followed suit, hopping down herself and hugging her friend. Hanna returned the hug in earnest, patting Paige on the back a few times before letting go.

"No worries, Paigey. You guys be safe too. And Em, let me know how those cookies are," she winked at her friend, and headed off toward her car.

With a laugh, Paige pulled Emily in for a quick kiss, and then laced their fingers together, leading her toward the passenger side of her Jeep.

"You're really in the mood for cookies, huh?" she wondered aloud as she opened the door for Emily.

"You have no idea,"

* * *

Emily was just tearing into her second fajita, stuffed full of grilled chicken and vegetables, dripping with melted cheese and Paige's homemade spicy salsa, and moaned happily as the flavors hit her tongue, Paige giggling from her place next to her on the couch in her apartment.

They had swung by Emily's house first, packing a quick bag for the beach before heading back to Paige's place for dinner and a movie before bed. Emily had browsed through Paige's extensive collection while she listened to Paige chop and stir and sauté away in the kitchen, chattering about her day as she went. When the food was done, Paige had hauled out the plates and tortillas, along with bowls full of all the fixings, and a bottle of white wine from her collection with two glasses, out to the coffee table, and they were now cuddled up and digging in, Stand By Me playing out on the screen.

"Good?" Paige asked through her laugh before taking another large bite herself, a bit of salsa leaking out and dribbling onto her chin which she quickly caught with her napkin. Emily nodded, washing her last large bite down with a few gulps of wine.

"So good. I feel like I could eat a hundred of these,"

"Well, go nuts. There's plenty. My dad used to make these all the time when I was a kid. They were always my favorite," she explained and Emily nodded with a smile.

"I see why. They're delicious. Thank you so much for making these. I'm sure you're still pretty beat, huh?" she asked. They had gotten in late and had an early start, and even though Paige had the day off of work, Emily could tell she still needed to catch up on some sleep. Emily herself, for as delicious as dinner was and as much as she was enjoying movie night, couldn't wait to be cuddled up in Paige's bed. Lately it was the only way she wanted to sleep, wrapped in Paige's arms, their legs tangled, Paige's warm hands occasionally wandering under her shirt to graze across her belly, her lips ghosting sleepy kisses across her neck whenever she would stir.

"I'm alright," Paige smiled, "I told you, I took a nap after lunch. Seeing your beautiful face woke me up,"

"Uh huh," Emily laughed, "tell me more about your interview, sweet talker,"

"What else do you want to know? We ate lobster, swapped culinary school horror stories, compared recipes and techniques...she asked about my family and what made me want to cook...I talked about growing up helping my dad in the kitchen. We talked about our favorite places to eat and places we want to try. I talked about you...she talked about her fiancé...I don't know," she rambled with a shrug, "it was really fun. It felt like I've known her for years, you know? She loves food like I love food. She's awesome,"

"That's great baby," Emily replied happily, "I'm not surprised at all that she's crazy about you but I'm really glad things went well and that she wants to keep in touch with you. That'll probably drive Chrissy crazy huh? That her friend wants to be your friend?"

"Oh God yes. Believe me I will be rubbing it in her face," Paige chuckled and continued to dig into her food.

"She was a nightmare today. I hate when she comes in on Saturdays," Emily groaned, and took another sip of her wine.

"Hey at least you only have to deal with her another month. Then you'll be seven hours away from that beast," Paige shrugged and Emily frowned.

"And from you," she said softly, looking down at her plate.

"Em, hey..." Paige replied, and swung her legs down off the couch to set her messy plate aside and scooted closer to Emily, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "we still have a month. Besides, we're gonna Facetime and text every single day. I'll drive down on weekends and we'll have holidays. Don't be sad. We're going to make this work," she soothed, and Emily looked up at her skeptically.

"That sounds perfect, Paige. But you're a chef. You work weekends," she pouted.

"Just Saturdays. I could drive down right after work Saturday night and be there just in time for breakfast Sunday morning. Or you can come home Friday after your classes and then we can have Friday and Saturday nights too. We'll figure it out, Em. I'm not worried,"

"You aren't?"

"Of course not. My brothers all live in different states and we talk all the time. I know what my dad ate for lunch today and what my mom bought at the market. I know what Lacey wore to her friend's sleepover party last night. Keeping in touch is what I do," she explained with a laugh.

"Yeah but, it won't be the same. I'll be surrounded by couples, walking around holding hands, kissing, sneaking into each other's dorms...you'll be here..."

"It's not going to be exactly like what everyone else has, but who cares? Em I've had relationships that looked a lot like the ones around me on the outside, but on the inside they all were messy and sad and even though I was with someone, I felt lonely. I felt lonely with Kelsey. I care more about what our relationship looks like from the inside. Moments like this, moments like we're going to have tomorrow at the beach...that's what will get us through when we're apart. The fact that we won't have them every day will make them so much more special, you know?" she told her.

"You really think so?" Emily choked out.

"With all my heart and soul I do," Paige whispered. Emily chuckled through a sob, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand before letting out a sigh.

"How are you so amazing? Every time I look at you and think I'm the luckiest girl in the world, you just get better and better. Every time I feel sad or overwhelmed you just say one thing and make it all better,"

Paige smiled at this, reaching up and stroking her thumb along Emily's cheek, leaning in and placing a soft but lingering kiss to her lips. It was gentle and slow, her thumb still gliding back and forth lovingly, soothingly along Emily's cheek. After a few moments, she pulled away just enough to rest her forehead against Emily's, their noses brushing as Paige smiled at her. Emily felt herself lost in Paige's eyes and brought her hand up to cover Paige's on her cheek.

"And that freakin' smile..." she continued with a chuckle, "I really don't think you know how dangerous that smile is,"

"Oh I do," Paige laughed back, "The McCullers family was built on this smile. Some girls fall for eyes or butts or money...my dad always said if you find a girl who falls for your smile she's a keeper, cause it means she'll always want you to be happy,"

"Mmm...I think I like you this way," Emily replied.

"What way?"

"Confident...kinda cocky, even. Two days ago you were a classically trained chef asking your culinary challenged girlfriend who can barely make grilled cheese if her burger recipe was good enough. Courtney made you believe in yourself. Now you're all...sexy and I know it. It's very hot," she explained.

"Glad you think so. Although to be fair, I think it was half Courtney, half you," she shrugged, "and you never ever have to worry about making grilled cheese, because my grilled cheese sandwiches are insane," she winked.

"Everything you make is insane. I cannot wait to read your article. When does it come out again?" Emily asked, and after placing her plate onto the coffee table next to Paige's, she scooted closer, allowing Paige to wrap her completely in her arms.

"Next month sometime. Just in time for my mom's birthday in September, so that'll be nice. You think that's a good gift?"

"A magazine with her pride and joy on the cover? I'm pretty sure that's the best gift a mom could get," Emily laughed, "just that and some flowers maybe? Are you going to make her dinner or anything?"

"Yup. My dad always takes her out for the day. Shopping, massages, whatever she wants to do. Then me and my brothers all sneak into town and 'surprise' her with her favorite dinner when they get back," Paige explained, "you definitely have to come. It's a great time," she insisted. It was a tradition they all loved, and though it hadn't changed in years, her mother always acted surprised to come home to a spotless house and home cooked meal with all of her children. Paige enjoyed it even more than her own birthday.

"That sounds nice. What's her favorite dinner?"

"Crab cakes with scalloped potatoes and salad. Key lime pie for dessert," Paige replied.

"Mmm. No birthday cake?"

"Nope. She doesn't really like the frosting. Too sweet. Actually most of us would rather have pie or ice cream over birthday cake. Except for Owen and Ryan of course. Those two could eat frosting out of the can," she laughed.

"Yeah I noticed. Owen and those strawberry donuts the other day. Yikes," Emily chuckled back, "that would've kept me up for days,"

"Right? That's Owen for ya. Mister sweet tooth. My dad's like that too, but not as bad. More of a peanut butter on a spoon guy. I guess I'm more like my mom. I'd rather wake up and have a slice of cold pizza as a midnight snack than a candy bar. Although when it comes to Reese's cups all bets are off. What about you?"

"Hmm...I think it depends on my mood," Emily pondered, turning in Paige's arms a bit so her head was resting on her chest, "sometimes I want ice cream and sometimes I want nachos. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, walk all the way to Benny's and buy French fries and cover them in hot sauce. Then I can't sleep...and I have to work out twice as hard the next morning, but it's so worth it," she chuckled.

"Mmm. What's Benny's?" Paige hummed in reply. She was struggling to keep her eyes open now, the warmth of the wine in her belly and of Emily's closeness soothing her into a restful state, but focused on every word her girlfriend spoke as she combed fingers through her hair.

"It's this 24- hour kind of takeout place on campus. If you go to the caf you have to sit and eat in there. But Benny's you can run in, grab pizza or chicken fingers or whatever and take it to go. Plus the caf closes after dinner so it's nice to have a place to eat if you're cramming for midterms or whatever. The food's pretty good," she explained.

"Sounds cool. I'm excited to see all this stuff. To see where your life happens when you're not here,"

"Me too, I have to say. As much as I don't want to be there without you, I'm excited for you to see it. Eat in the caf with me, hang out in my dorm, meet my friends. My roommate can't wait to meet you," Emily told her, Paige responding with a kiss to her forehead.

"I can't wait to meet her. What's she like?"

"She's really funny. I think you two will get along great. She's from New Hampshire. She's majoring in math and education, and she's on the basketball team too," Emily explained, "we got to be friends the first few weeks of practice. The newbies had to stay after and put the balls away and wash the scrimmage jerseys and clean up the gym and stuff. A few times we hung out afterward, got coffee or food. Realized we had a lot in common,"

"That's great. Can't wait to meet her," she repeated, her voice now giving away her grogginess, "what have you told her about me?"

Emily smiled, reaching up to cup Paige's cheek as she yawned, "What haven't I? She's completely aware how nuts I am about you. I send her pictures of food you make me. She's stalked your Facebook. Says you're cute...says your brothers are cute. We always talk about visiting each other's hometowns, so she says when she comes to Philly she wants you to show us some good restaurants. Maybe go to a hockey game, get cheesesteaks, check out the farmers' market. I told her by the time she comes to Philly you may have your own restaurant," Emily gushed and Paige rolled her eyes playfully.

"Wouldn't that be awesome? I think it's still a few years off,"

"You never know. Things hardly ever come when you expect them to. You ready for bed?"

"What about the movie?" Paige pouted and Emily quickly kissed it away.

"We can watch it anytime. It's late and you know I have a hard time getting up in the morning. Even if it is to spend the entire day on the beach with you,"

"Don't worry. I won't wake you until breakfast and coffee are ready," Paige winked, stretching her arms above her head with another yawn.

"Waffles?" Emily's head perked up.

"Waffles," she nodded happily, "turkey sandwiches and pasta salad for lunch. And then whatever looks good on the boardwalk for dinner. I'm thinking fries...or maybe gyros? Or both...mmm,"

"Okay, sleepyhead," Emily laughed, and managed to push herself into an upright position next to Paige on the couch, "as good as that sounds, I'm majorly stuffed from dinner. I think we should call it a night,"

"Anything to get into my bedroom," Paige joked with a playful eye roll. She followed suit and sat up, beginning to clear the mess from the coffee table.

"Hmm...true. I can't help it, you're just so dreamy,"

"I know, I know. Go get comfy in bed. I'm just gonna clean up this mess and I'll be in momentarily with your goodnight kiss," she winked.

"Let me help you..." Emily started, making to help Paige gather the dishes. Paige stopped her, pulling her into her arms swiftly, trapping her with a firm kiss on the mouth.

"Mmm..." Emily moaned, taken off guard for a moment before allowing herself to melt into it, her hands coming to rest on Paige's hips, fingers hooking into her belt loops. She could taste the wine on Paige's lips, the spicy peppers from their dinner on her tongue as it crept into Emily's mouth and tangled with her own. It was passionate and intoxicating, but also gentle and relaxing. She let her mind go blank for a moment, just enjoying the feeling she had been longing for all day, before Paige pulled away from her.

"You worked all day," she whispered a little breathlessly, "I'm not about to let you do dishes. Go get comfortable. I won't be long, I promise,"

"Alright..." Emily sighed happily, "but I better get more than one goodnight kiss,"


	17. Chapter 17

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a while again...I've had a few curveballs thrown my way lately. I appreciate all the well wishes and even though I couldn't do it for a while, the requests for an update mean the world to me. I am so blessed that you guys enjoy my story. Thank you so, so much!

* * *

"I can't believe they charge ten bucks just to sit on the sand. And twenty-five to park the car," Emily commented as she and Paige finally settled into their chairs, a cooler of sandwiches and drinks in between them on the beach.

"That's the tourism industry for you," Paige laughed, "only in America do you have to pay cold, hard cash to sit and do nothing,"

"Mmhmm. College has just made me cheap, I guess,"

"Hey, I've been there. But the smell of that ocean air is worth it to me. I would've paid double for that. Reminds me of vacations as a kid. The car ride to the beach always seemed so long. I would get carsick and my brothers would always be so rowdy and I just couldn't wait to get there. Once I could smell the shore...I knew we were close," she recalled with a smile.

"I can't even imagine what a handful you all must've been," Emily laughed, "your poor mother probably got no rest on her own vacation,"

"Hey, she's the one who didn't want to stop having babies! Besides, it was the boys that were a handful. I was an angel," she defended.

"Mmhmm. All the stories I've heard from Brittany about you as a kid tell me otherwise," Emily replied. Paige rolled her eyes with a laugh, knowing she'd reached the end of her very shallow argument, and reached over to open the cooler. She pulled out two bottles of iced tea, frosted with condensation from the ice, and handed one to Emily before cracking hers open and sinking back into her chair. Emily followed suit, sipping at her iced tea once she was comfortable, and sighing happily.

If someone had asked her, she wouldn't be able to put the feeling into words, but in that moment, watching as Paige nestled her toes in the sand, letting the hand holding her drink rest on her thigh while tucking the other one behind her head, enjoying the sun's warmth against her fair skin in full relaxation, Emily couldn't believe how lucky, happy and completely in love she felt.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked after a few moments of silence. Paige turned toward her, pushing her sunglasses down a tad and eyeing her from above the frame.

"Who, me?" she asked, and Emily rolled her eyes playfully with a chuckle.

"No. I was talking to the old guy in the speedo over there," she replied, "I'm dying to know what's on his mind,"

"Hmm..." Paige glanced over to where Emily had pointed, "well if I had to guess by the look on his face, he's thinking about you. But I can't really blame him. Everyone on this beach stopped dead in their tracks when you strolled up in that bikini,"

"Oh hush," Emily laughed, "you just looked so cute and relaxed. I just wanted to know what was going on in that head,"

"Honestly?" she replied, sitting back in her chair, "I'm not sure I was really thinking about anything. Just enjoying the moment. The smells, the sounds...the feel of the sand...you..." she rambled off.

"Mmm. I think they call that relaxation," Emily teased. Paige laughed, taking a pull of her iced tea.

"Oh yeah? I like," came her reply as she licked her lips, "what about you huh? What are you thinking about?"

"Same I guess. Just this. I've been dying to go to the beach. I didn't really get to go last summer, getting ready to go to college and everything. And all year at school...I mean nothing makes you crave the beach like long cram sessions in the library," she explained.

"I hear that. I should really take more vacations,"

"I agree. It's nice to see the city girl out of the city every once in a while," Emily grinned.

"Well lucky for you this city girl is gonna be coming down to North Carolina to visit her country girl all the time. So maybe those study sessions won't be so boring,"

"You can't help me study," Emily barked a laugh, "you're way too distracting. We'd be making out in five minutes,"

"Hey, now. I don't know what kind of student you are, but I happen to be an excellent teacher. Very professional," Paige teased.

"I'm a great student," Emily countered, "probably because none of my teachers look like you,"

"For the record, you're equally as distracting. I almost scorched a piece of flounder the other day because you were in my kitchen, being all cute and stuff," Paige replied with a goofy grin, and Emily couldn't help the blush that crept up her cheeks as she chuckled.

"Oh yeah? I highly doubt that. The great Paige McCullers doesn't scorch anything in her kitchen,"

"Well...okay, it turned out alright. But another twenty seconds or so, I would've turned a gorgeous piece of fish into a brick of charcoal. You and those glasses...very dangerous,"

"I guess I'll be have to be more careful," Emily purred, "hey can we make a deal?"

"Sure...what kind of deal?"

"Let's not talk about work for the rest of the day. I know how much you wish you didn't have to go back there tomorrow, so let's not even think about it. Let's just forget about that place," Emily suggested and Paige couldn't help but smile. She reached over, clinking her bottle against Emily's.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she took another sip, "I'd much rather think about what we're going to be eating once we get up on that boardwalk,"

* * *

"These are freakin amazing," Paige muttered through a mouthful, Emily chuckling at her from across the table. After a few hours of lounging in the sand, hunger had set in, along with a desire for just an hour or so in air conditioning. So just a few hours after inhaling the sandwiches Paige had packed them, they sat in a packed restaurant on the boardwalk, plates of gyros, fresh cut fries and coconut shrimp spread out between them. Completing the meal, at Paige's request, were two towering root beer floats in frosted mugs. Emily had to admit, they were the perfect touch, and the smile on Paige's face as they dug in made it even better.

"Yeah, everything's delicious," Emily agreed, dipping one of her shrimp into hot sauce, and popping it into her mouth.

"You and that sriracha sauce," Paige laughed, and picked up her cell phone as it vibrated on the table, "you're going to start breathing fire soon,"

"Oh hush, you like it too," Emily chuckled through a mouthful, watching as Paige swiped the screen on her phone open, only to break into a giant grin.

"Who is it?" she wondered.

"Jordy," she replied, and without hesitation, turned the screen to face Emily, the smile on her face unfaltering, "Tara had an ultrasound today,"

On the screen was a snapshot of the sonogram, a blurry yet adorable image of Paige's soon to be niece and nephew, with the text ' _Last ultrasound...see you soon Aunt Paige!'_ underneath.

"Aww..." Emily cooed... "she's due soon, huh?"

"End of next month. They've got her on bedrest for the last stretch. You saw her at the barbecue. She's big as a house," Paige said, and turned the screen back to herself, typing a message back to her oldest brother.

"Will you be there? When the babies are born?" Emily wondered, and took a sip of her root beer float.

"Hell yes I will be. Haven't missed a birth yet. Had to walk five blocks in a blizzard to get to the hospital when Jarred was born, because my car got stuck. And when Logan was born, Nathan and Heather asked me if I could babysit Lacey, but I refused not to be there. So Lacey and I played Candyland in the waiting room all night, and had Pop Tarts out of the vending machine for dinner. She loved it," she announced proudly.

"Wow," Emily smiled, "they are all very lucky to have an Aunt Paige,"

"Thanks. They're all such awesome kids. I can't wait to have a few too, you know? When all five of us have kids...man, that's gonna be so awesome. All the kids getting together for the holidays, excited to see their cousins...with their little outfits on, playing with their new toys at Christmas. So many people at Thanksgiving we'll need two turkeys...my brothers playing football in the backyard and my mom yelling at my dad, cause he's too old to be out there showing off...and he'll grumble that he's never felt better, and then after dinner when we all head out he'll lay on the living room floor, whining to her that he threw out his back..."

"You've really thought about this," Emily mused, taking another sip of her drink.

"Yeah, all the time. I can't wait," Paige replied, typing away happily at her phone, "what about you? What are holidays like in the Fields house?"

"Hmm...really great, when my dad is home. A little more low key than yours, by the sound of it, "she chuckled, "but still...nice,"

"Man...will he be home this year you think?" Paige wondered, looking up from her phone, her eyes filled with concern.

"No way to know yet," Emily shrugged, "I try not to get my hopes up, because sometimes it just can't happen. But even when I swear I don't have my hopes up, it still hurts when I wake up on Christmas morning and he's not there,"

"I'm sorry, Em..." Paige frowned.

"Hey, no... it's fine...I'm fine. It's July, I'm not gonna be sad about things that are five months away. Not when I'm here with you, and we're relaxing and eating all this good food and getting some sun...and you're all excited about your new niece and nephew coming..." Emily rattled, and Paige took her hand from across the table.

"You...amaze me, you know that?"

"What are you talking about?" Emily giggled, looking down bashfully.

"You just...find something good in everything. Even the toughest situation, things that would scare me to death, you are so positive about. You found something good in me, when I was pretty much at my lowest point, self- esteem wise. You don't take anything for granted. You're just...incredible," she gushed.

"Paige...you're easy to see the good in, you know. Since I've yet to find a single thing about you I don't like,"

"Oh just wait," Paige laughed, "I'll be driving you crazy soon,"

"I somehow doubt that,"

"No, really. Like...okay, I'm a total cover hog in bed, but you already knew that I guess. You know it takes me forever to get around to grown up things like laundry and grocery shopping and putting gas in the car...if a pen came with a cap and no longer has a cap, I can't write with it. It drives me insane. I talk to myself when I drive, and when I cook. I can't sing at all, but as you know it doesn't stop me from trying. There are foods I enjoy so much, I will eat them until I am physically sick, stubbornly like a child...mainly blueberries or Reese's cups...I snore sometimes, and I save all my Christmas shopping until the few days before," Paige rambled on with a playful grin, and all Emily could do was laugh.

"Is that all?" she asked.

"Isn't that enough?" Paige barked a laugh.

"You want to know something annoying I do?" Emily started, stroking Paige's knuckles with her thumb, "I wait too damn long to tell people how I feel about them. I get scared about rejection and spend half my summer feeling sorry for myself, because the most perfect girl I ever met belongs to someone else,"

"So this has happened to you before?" Paige joked, and Emily rolled her eyes.

"Hush. My point is...there was a time where I wanted you so bad, and I was so devastated because I thought for sure I'd be sitting at you and Kelsey's wedding one day, praying for the strength not to stand up and yell at the top of my lungs for you not to do it. And even though I was sure I couldn't handle that, I still was too scared to tell you. So now I'm gonna smile when you snore, even if it keeps me awake, because at least you're snoring with me and not someone else. I'll make sure all your pens have caps and I'll hold your hair back when you eat too many blueberries,"

"Well...I guess that makes us a pretty good match, huh?" Paige grinned.

"Guess so," Emily blushed back.

"Okay then. Let's finish up this food. I wanna get out on that boardwalk and win my girl a giant teddy bear,"

* * *

By the time the sun had set on the shoreline, Paige had indeed won Emily a teddy bear, along with a stuffed seahorse and a blue Phillies snapback cap, which she swore was for Emily, but was currently sitting backwards atop her own head. They had checked out all the souvenir shops, collecting enough watermelon and chocolate taffy to hold Hanna over for a few years, along with plenty for themselves, and had even ridden the sky ride.

Now, with only the lights from the rides and food stands surrounding them, they sat cuddled up on a bench facing the shore, Emily's head resting on Paige's shoulder, her hand stroking Paige's knee. It was getting late, but she couldn't bring herself to point it out. She just didn't want their perfect day to end.

"The water is really pretty at night," Emily pointed out.

"Yeah," Paige replied softly.

"Are you tired?"

"A little. Are you?"

"Yeah. But in a good way. I ate too much," Emily admitted with a giggle.

"Me too," Paige laughed, and kissed the top of her head, "we could always stay here? Get a hotel room? Play hooky tomorrow and stay in bed all day watching movies and ordering room service?"

"Don't tease me," Emily yawned, "cause right now that sounds perfect,"

"We can...it's up to you,"

"Won't Chrissy be pissed off?" Emily wondered, "she's probably been waiting to talk things over with you since the other night,"

"Oh I know she has. You know when things go great for me? When I stop worrying about what Chrissy wants and do what I want," she smirked.

"Well you're right about that. She never could've pulled off that menu the other night. Nobody could've, actually,"

"My dad could've. That menu was very much inspired by him, and some of the first things he taught me to make growing up,"

"I love that. I think it made it so much more special. I think everyone did,"

"Thank you. I thought we weren't supposed to talk about work today?" Paige teased.

"We're talking about you," Emily argued with a playful shove, "future celebrity chef master of the universe,"

"Whatever you say..." Paige yawned, "you know, as much as I would love to play hooky tomorrow, I really should get back to it. Plus I've got a huge order coming in. I don't want to leave Greg to deal with that alone. You can totally take off if you want to, though. I won't tell, I promise," she grinned.

"Hmm...without you there isn't much point," Emily laughed, "I may as well just work. I can't be turning down shifts, I need all the money I can get,"

"Ha! Yeah right. You made more money than I did Friday,"

"Yeah, well, you don't work for tips, big shot," Emily teased, "you make way more money than me in reality,"

"Maybe now. Just wait a few years until you get that fancy business degree," Paige replied.

"I guess,"

"What's wrong?"

"I...I don't know. I may be second guessing my major," Emily admitted sheepishly. In high school, with no real clue what she really wanted to do, it made the most sense. Her friends were all so sure, knowing they wanted to be writers and lawyers and police officers since sophomore year. Even Hanna had been working on her portfolio for design school since Emily could remember. For Emily, though, most of her focus had been poured into her sports, and so by the time the requirements sections for the athletic scholarships on her college applications were filled out, and she had made it to the list of majors, she had checked off business and mailed them out. Now, however, after just a few weeks dating someone who was chasing their dream and absolutely loving it, Emily couldn't help but wonder if a business degree would ever provide her an opportunity at the kind of pure joy she saw in Paige when she worked.

"Nothing wrong with that," Paige assured her, "people change majors all the time,"

"Easy for you to say," Emily giggled, and moved a bit so she was nuzzling into Paige's neck, "little miss 'I've been cooking world class meals since I was five',"

"Hey now..." Paige laughed, "five and a half,"

"Ha ha,"

"I mean it, you know? There's nothing wrong with changing your mind. It's better than settling, anyhow. Owen changed his major in college, too," she explained.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He went for graphic design at first, and after his first semester realized he hated it. He knew he'd be happier teaching. If there's something that'll make you happier, you should go for it,"

"I don't know what my parents would think about it," Emily sighed, "they seemed pretty happy with me pursuing business. They have to be okay with it, no matter what I decide. They practically bankrupted themselves so I could get a college education,"

"I think as long as you're happy they'd be fine with it," Paige shrugged, "they'd probably prefer you switch to something you enjoy than dropping out all together,"

"Yeah," she shook her head, "dropping out wouldn't even be an option. Problem is though, I don't know what I want to do. Like at all...how do I switch majors when I have no clue?"

"Do some soul searching," Paige replied, "get all your basic classes out of the way and try some different things. You can be anything in the world you want to be,"

"You think so, huh?" Emily chuckled, and Paige nodded with a kiss to Emily's forehead, "alright then. If food hadn't been your destiny...if your dad hadn't like...handed you the magical spatula when you were a baby and been all 'go forth and cook, my child...' what would you have done instead?" she joked and Paige barked a laugh.

"You make my dad sound like Obi-Wan Kenobi," she laughed, "he would freakin' love that,"

"Seriously, Paige," Emily replied, though she was grinning from ear to ear, "if you had ever had to come to a fork in the road...what would've been your other options?"

"I don't really know..." Paige hummed, "something with sports maybe? When we were little, Owen and I wanted to own a candy store. And one summer I got Roller Coaster Tycoon for my birthday, so I was obsessed with the idea of having my own theme park. Other than that, though...I don't know...it was kind of always gonna be the kitchen for me, you know? It's been what makes sense to me as long as I can remember,"

"Candy and roller coasters. Every time I think you can't get any cuter," Emily shook her head.

"Hey! Those are solid careers. We're surrounded by candy stores _and_ roller coasters as we speak!" she defended.

"I know, I know," she laughed, "still...I wish I could just find something to be as sure about. Something to be passionate about,"

"You will," Paige assured her, "not everyone has to have their life figured out at nineteen. Sometimes things are worth the wait. You'll find something great and you'll be so sure about it you won't believe you ever had a single doubt,"

"You think so?" she asked again, and once more Paige pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"You're sure about me, aren't you?" she asked, and Emily squirmed out of her arms a bit to meet her eyes.

"Yes," she whispered, and brought a hand up to stroke Paige's cheek, "so sure. _You_ are the only thing about my life that makes sense right now,"

"Well I'm not going anywhere," she replied, "so don't be so hard on yourself. College is supposed to be the best time of your life. You're working so hard to pay for it, make it what you want it to be. And if you want, call Owen. He's really good at talking stuff out, plus he's been there before. I promise, no matter what you decide, as long as you're happy, everything will be okay,"

"Thank you," Emily whispered, leaning in for a kiss, "as long as you're around, I think happy is a given,"

"Glad to hear it," Paige grinned, and stole another peck, "so you want to walk the boardwalk one last time, or ready to head back and get to bed?"

"Hmm...this day has been magical...but you and a bed? How can I turn that down?" Emily replied.

"Exactly. You sure you don't want to play hooky tomorrow?"

"I'm sure," Emily laughed, "Whether we go or not, I get to spend the day with you, so I may as well make money. A girl could do worse than getting paid to look at you in a chef's coat all day," she swooned.

"You better cut it out, you're gonna give me a complex," Paige chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Bring me home?"

"Home?" she smiled.

"Yeah. Home...back to the city with my city girl," Emily whispered, and swooped in for one more kiss.


	18. Chapter 18

Hi again! Wow two chapters in a week, I'm amazed. Thank you everyone who has been checking in, making sure I'm feeling okay. Some of you know what's been going on, but I think I may finally be starting to feel like myself again. I really hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you for continuing to read and review! xoxoxo

* * *

"What are you calling me for so early, dork?" Paige answered her phone on the first ring with a grin as she pulled into the parking lot of Donatana's Monday morning. It was Owen, and if Paige knew anything about her brother, it was that he was hardly a morning person.

"It's nine thirty, Paige," said Owen from the other line, "don't even tell me you're still sleeping. I figured you'd be halfway done with lunch prep by now,"

"I'm just pulling in," she explained, "decided to skip the farmer's market today. What's up? You doing okay?"

"I'm fine. I woke up when Brit left for work. Glad to know you didn't just blow town and forget about your poor, injured brother," he quipped and Paige barked a laugh.

"Excuse you, I've been keeping in touch with Brit. She says those pain killers have been keeping you pretty sleepy so I wasn't trying to wake you up," she defended.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Big time chef, super busy, gonna be famous and all that. How did it go by the way? I mean, I talked to mom, but what's the full scoop?"

"What did mom say?"

"She said 'call your sister'. So what's going on? It went well I'm assuming?" he pried. Paige put the car in park and settled a little lower into her seat, sighing contently as she sipped at her travel mug of coffee.

"It went really well. Now's just the waiting part. I got a few days off to recharge, Em and I went to the beach yesterday. I feel really good, Owen. I feel like I did what I had to do, like took the next step in my career kinda thing,"

"That's good, Paigey. Well except for the beach part. Going to the beach when I'm stuck here with a broken leg. Nice," he joked, and Paige groaned though she was smiling.

"Says the guy who left me after I had my wisdom teeth out to go down to Chickie's to do his fantasy football draft," she fired back.

"Hey! Brittany stayed home with you! And did I or did I not come back with your favorite mango Italian ice?" he replied.

"I guess you did. How are you though? Really? Still lots of pain?"

"Eh. Kind of. Mostly I just hate not being up and around you know? And we're getting ready for this move and I don't want Brit having to pick up my slack but now she's trying to do everything around here so we're ready. It sucks," he replied.

"Me and Emily can come down next weekend and help pack. Well, I can...I'll ask her if she wants to. And I'll call Ryan to come help too," she offered.

"Ryan's already coming down to pick up a truck load to bring with him when he goes to paint. I think one of his buddies with a truck too. I'm telling you, Paigey. This is the last time we move. I hate packing. Hate it, hate it, hate it," he rambled and Paige couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm glad you'll be back in PA," she admitted.

"Me too. It's good. The house is good, I think the job is going to be good. Me and Brit will be coming for dinner more often, though. She's been raving about those burgers you made. Damn they were bangin',"

"Thanks. They were a hit here, too. Who knew?" she chuckled.

"Yeah, who knew that the classically trained chef could make a decent cheeseburger?" he teased, and Paige could tell by the tone of his voice that he was rolling his eyes.

"Hey!" she cried, "why did Brit have to go off to work and leave me to deal with you?" she laughed.

"Cause we just bought a house and are paying off a wedding and trying to have a baby, plus now hospital bills and a new car... and sometimes we like to have food in our fridge. She's off being my sugar mama," he replied with a snicker, and it was Paige's turn to roll her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah smart ass. Lucky for you she's out there making that good money before your new fancy job starts,"

"Oh, no doubt. I ain't embarrassed to admit my wife's the boss of me. I wouldn't have it any other way," he sighed happily.

"Yeah, you're pretty damn lucky," she repeated.

"Hmm...last time I checked, you snagged yourself a bombshell who follows you around like a puppy," he teased.

"I never said I wasn't lucky too," she laughed, "I'm well aware I've finally got it good,"

"How is miss Emily, anyhow?"

"She's good. I thought she'd come in early with me so I could make her breakfast, but she wanted to sleep a little longer. We didn't get back from the shore until late, she's exhausted," she explained.

"Aren't you?"

"A little, but ready to get back to work. Em's on summer vacation. If she wants to sleep, I let her sleep," she shrugged.

"I get that. That's all I ever wanted to do when I was in college,"

"I remember. Every time I tried to call you on the weekends you were passed out. Mom was always pissed, remember? The one time she wanted to drive up there cause you weren't answering your phone," Paige recalled with a chuckle.

"Oh I remember. She'd always think the worst thing ever happened. Nine times out of ten I was just sleeping or at practice. But she'd always think I was being mugged or something,"

"Well to be fair, you're her baby boy. All she was left with at home was me, of course she was mega worried about you," Paige shrugged.

"All she was left with was you?" he barked a laugh, " _you're_ her baby. I'm surprised she didn't just put a tracking device on you,"

"Are you kidding me? Sometimes I still think she did! Every time I'd be getting into something I knew I probably shouldn't have in college, mom would call out of the blue...just to like ask what I wanted for Christmas or see if I wanted her to come visit and have lunch. Even now, if I'm looking at a bottle of wine like I want a third glass, or I'm making an ill-advised online purchase...within a minute, ring ring, there's Val on the phone...just checking in!" she explained with a laugh, one her brother mirrored on the other line.

"Yep. That's the warden," he replied.

"The warden," she agreed, as her laugh faltered into a heavy sigh, "I should get to work. I wish you were in town. I would've kidnapped you to hang out with me in the kitchen all day,"

"I wouldn't be much help," he told her, "this cast is the worst,"

"I could find something for you to do. You could even sit behind the bar and help Angie make drinks," she chuckled.

"I'm sure that would go over well with your frigid boss. Hey did you get a raise or anything for making her restaurant look so good?"

"Probably not. According to her, I've reached the ceiling of what a chef my age should ever be making," she groaned.

"You gotta get out of there Paigey. There's plenty of restaurants in Philly. Or start researching what it'll take to get your own place going. You've got all the talent to make it happen,"

"And none of the money, unfortunately," she replied.

"Don't you have anything in savings?" he wondered, "you know what the warden says…"

"Yeah, yeah. Ten percent of every paycheck stays in the bank. I have savings. Not nearly enough to buy a restaurant and get it off the ground. Plus I don't think mom and dad would be too happy to hear of me draining my savings at 25, no matter what the reason," she told him.

"Mom and dad bought the pub when they were 22. And they didn't have culinary degrees to fall back on," he reminded her.

"I know…" she sighed, "but the whole point of culinary school was that dad wanted me to do it differently than they did. He wanted me to understand the financial side of things. He doesn't want me to have to work until I'm eighty,"

"I think if dad saw the way that witch at Dontana's treats you, he'd cash out their retirement to buy you a place. To be honest everytime I'm in town I'm tempted to give her a piece of my mind," he admitted and Paige chuckled.

"I can handle her, you guys should just relax. She'd probably just hit on you if you went anywhere near her. She has a thing for married guys half her age," she laughed.

"Gross. Brittany would kick her ass,"

"Now that may be worth seeing," she chuckled, "what time does she get home? Will you be okay all day while the rest of us work?" she teased.

"She gets out at seven. And I will be fine, dork. I'm in the middle of an intense online Madden tournament with some guys from college. I play the Cardinals in an hour," he explained and Paige couldn't help the laughter that followed.

"Go Eagles," she teased, "well I've got five grand worth of fresh seafood I'm waiting on so let me go so I can get some prep done before the witch gets here,"

"Alright...fine. It was nice talking to you, sis. Tell Emily I said hey, would you?" he asked and Paige smiled.

"I will. It will make her smile to hear that you were asking about her,"

"Happy to oblige. Have a good day, Paigey. Love you,"

"Love you too. Later,"

* * *

By the time Emily strolled in, two coffees and a paper bag in hand, Paige was steady at work, breaking down a fresh sea bass on her cutting board. Emily approached her, grimacing, just in time to see Paige expertly fillet the skin right from the meat of the fish.

"That's gross," she announced, and Paige looked up momentarily from her work, smiling at Emily.

"I seem to remember you raving about this dish the other night," she replied with a laugh.

"I know, but...blech...you really have to do all that to cook a fish?"

"You really have to," she snickered, "it's a huge deal in culinary school. If you can't break down a fish, they won't bother teaching you anything else,"

"Can't you buy it already done though? When my mom buys fish at the market, it's already done," Emily pointed out.

"I could...but this was just caught this morning. It's fresh. You can definitely tell the difference,"

"Well I guess if it's in the name of making it more delicious…" she teased, and slid a coffee next to Paige on the counter.

"Thought you might need some caffeine. I got you a breakfast burrito, too. Eggs, cheese and turkey sausage. Extra hot sauce packets," she winked.

"Thanks," Paige grinned, and leaving her hands where they were, leaned in for a kiss, which Emily was happy to accept.

"You're welcome. How's your morning so far?"

"Good. Owen called me. He said to tell you hi," she told her, continuing her work on the fish.

"Aw, that's nice. Is he feeling better?"

"He's hanging in there. Bored today because Brit had to get back to work, but he's good. How about you? Get enough sleep?" she asked. Emily nodded as she sipped at her own coffee.

"I could always keep sleeping, but I'm fine," she giggled, "do you have time to have breakfast with me or are you swamped?"

"I'm a little swamped, I'm sorry," Paige frowned, "I got like twenty more fish to break down and then I gotta get rolling on my soup. I'll scarf down my burrito in between,"

"Okay…" she pouted, "I'd offer to help, but...I don't want to have to picture this the next time you cook me fish," she admitted with a chuckle.

"No worries. I think Hanna is awaiting your arrival out front, anyhow. She all but patted me down looking for her salt water taffy this morning," Paige laughed, and Emily rolled her eyes.

"Okay. See you for pre-service," she replied, and leaned in, pecking Paige on the cheek before she headed out to the dining room. The tables were all set, the bussing station fully stocked, a pot of coffee brewing next to the cash register. Hanna was perched at the bar, chatting with Angie, who was taking extra care cleaning her soda gun and getting ready for the lunch shift.

"Hi guys," Emily greeted as she approached them, taking a seat on the barstool next to Hanna, "how's it going?"

"Hey girl. Look at you all fresh and rested up. How was the beach?" Angie replied.

"Really great. We relaxed, we ate good food...it was a great time. I think the time off was good for Paige, too,"

"About time that girl takes a break," Hanna cut in, "you got something for me, Em?"

"Yeah, yeah," she laughed, and dug a hand into her bag, "one hundred pieces of fresh salt water taffy. Watermelon and chocolate. Oh and, one piece of banana caramel. Paige thought you would like it," she finished as she handed the plain white box over to Hanna, who didn't hesitate to tear it open.

"So I was telling Paigey, that the phone has been ringing off the hook this morning. People are still going crazy. Asking me if we still have those crab pierogis and cherry burgers. And even when I tell them we don't, they still want a reservation. Chrissy is losing her mind. I'm pretty sure her eyeballs actually turned into dollar signs. Paigey set the damn city on fire," Hanna explained, happily chomping on her first piece of candy.

"Really? That's awesome! So we're booked again today?"

"Solid for lunch, and dinner's getting there too," Hanna replied, and Emily grinned excitedly. She couldn't be happier for Paige's success.

"How did her interview go?" Angie asked as she reassembled her soda gun, and fired a few test shots into an empty glass.

"Really well, I think. She seemed really happy afterward. Her and Courtney Calloway get along really well. I'm pretty sure we're actually double dating with her and her fiance this weekend or something," she explained with a chuckle, "they're like instant besties,"

"Wow, cute, double dating huh? Meanwhile here are me and Hanna, the two hottest and inexplicably single chicks in the city," Angie cut in.

"I'll drink to that," Hanna muttered through a mouthful, "too bad we weren't gay too, we could just date each other,"

"Mmmhmm. We need to find us some guys. What are we doing with our lives? I want a summer love like Paige and Emily have," Angie whined. She glanced over to the office door, ensuring that Christina wasn't watching them, before pouring herself a shot of whiskey and throwing it back.

"I did too but screw that. This is the summer of Hanna. I'm going to lounge by the pool and drink wine and watch movies and just do me for a while. Then next month when I go down to North Carolina to help Em move into her dorm, I'm gonna snag me a country boy,"

"Damn. Can I get a seat on that train?" Angie replied.

"What are you gonna do, Han?" Em laughed, "just look for guys in cowboy hats and flannels? There's not as many as you think,"

"Don't be ridiculous, Em," Hanna rolled her eyes, "I'm not going to look for anything. I'm just going to sit back and let them come to me,"

"Well you aren't bringing them back to my room if you find one. You'll have to go to his or find a hotel," she chuckled.

"Geeze, you make out with a guy in Em's bed one time and she never lets it go," Hanna rolled her eyes, and the sound of the telephone ringing from the hostess station filled the otherwise empty room.

"Told ya, this place is off the chain right now," Hanna hopped off her stool and headed to pick up the phone, Emily and Angie still laughing in her wake.

* * *

"Here's the receipts for the seafood order this morning," Paige popped her head into the office, handing over the papers to her boss. She was going over a document on her computer screen, her reading glasses perched low on the bridge of her nose. Without looking away from it, she reached her hand out to grab the receipts.

"Thanks, Paige. Hey, do you have a minute?" she replied.

"Uh...I guess so. What's up?" she asked, taking a seat across from her. Chrissy kept her eyes on the screen still, and a moment later Paige heard the printer switch on and papers began firing out of the top.

"Your menu was a hit the other night," she began, finally turning from the screen, taking her glasses off and tossing them onto the desk.

"Thanks," Paige replied timidly. She appreciated the compliment, but was wary to it at the same time. Her boss rarely handed out praise without criticism.

"How did the piece come out? I've texted Courtney a few times asking for a proof but she hasn't gotten back to me,"

"Oh...uh...I think it'll be good. She may not be done with it yet. She said something about her fiance being back in town and taking a few days to catch up with him and process everything we talked about," Paige shrugged.

"Alright. Fair enough," she responded, reaching over to the printer and grabbing the sheets that had piled up. Paige arched an eyebrow as she began shuffling through them, waiting for more.

"Was that it? Or…" she trailed off.

"No, actually. I wanted to talk to you about the menu. Hanna came to me this morning. Says we've had a lot of requests to bring back some of the specials from the other night," she began.

"Oh. Yeah, she mentioned that,"

"I wanted to see what you thought about adding those things to our menu exclusively," she told her, and Paige's jaw hung open for a moment in surprise. She had been shocked Chrissy had let her plan a special menu in the first place, let alone to suggest that they change it completely and permanently.

"Really? I mean, yeah that'd be awesome! You really want to?" she replied.

"I think it'd be a good thing. People liked it. It gives us a new dynamic. Plus when people read the piece, I'd like them to be able to come in and get exactly what they read about," she explained.

"Makes sense. I don't have everything I need to start today, though," she admitted, "we ran out of mostly everything that night,"

"Don't worry about that. We'll get an order in and start next week. I...just need you to sign this," she said, finally handing over the stack of papers to Paige.

"What's this?" she asked as she looked down at it.

"That is a contract, so to speak. I just need you to write down the recipes for all the changes, and sign the contract, and we're good to go,"

"Wait...I'm confused," Paige flipped back and forth between the sheets, "why would I have to sign a contract for menu changes?"

"Look…" she sighed, "it's very simple, nothing to be worried about. Because these dishes are going to be featured in an article about Dontana's, I need you to sign them over to me. They are Dontana's signature dishes and if you were to leave and cook somewhere else, you cannot replicate these dishes to sell. Capiche?"

Again, Paige's jaw hung open as she stared down at the form, dumbfounded. She wasn't sure if she wanted to vomit all over the papers or get up and punch Christina square in the mouth. She kicked herself for even a second thinking that Chrissy would let her have her moment to shine. Of course she was looking to cash in. Of course she was looking to steal all the credit.

"I don't understand this...they are my dishes. I created them," she defended.

"You used my money to purchase the food, Paige. You used my propane to cook it, in my building. I paid you to come up with them, and to cook them. And if you want to continue to serve them here, I need to protect my investments. You shouldn't take it personally. It's just business," she shrugged, trying to hand Paige a pen.

"I shouldn't take it personally? Do you know how hard I worked on that menu? It kept me awake for a week. I practiced it three times before I even brought it into these doors. I'm the artist here, who's protecting me in this stupid contract?" she raised her voice. She was on the verge of tears, but fought hard not to let it show.

"You're still getting credit, Paige. In an article with your damn picture in it. Other than that, how do you need to be protected? Do you want more money? It says right in the contract that after six months, if food sales stay strong you'll get a raise," she defended.

"This isn't about money!" Paige hollered, "you have no respect for this business! And this doesn't even make sense! Any chef in the world can see a picture of what I made and make their own version of it! Any place can sell whatever kind of food they want! That's why we live in a city with a cheesesteak shop on every corner! And if anyone owns the rights to my dishes, it's me! Definitely not you!"

"Okay, let's take a step back here. Don't get a hothead, you're taking this the wrong way,"

"I'm taking it the way any self respecting chef would! You want to stomp all over my creativity, chain me to a stove and make me dance to line your pockets! This is bullshit!" she yelled, the tears finally squeezing out of the corners of her eyes, rolling down her red, burning cheeks.

"Okay, McCullers, enough. You'd be nowhere without me and you know it. You think a lot of chefs get to run their own kitchen at your age? You think food writers are knocking down their doors looking to write articles? You got this shot because of me," she seethed.

"I got this shot because I worked my ass off in culinary school, and because I respect food and art more than fucking money. I poured hours of my life into that menu, I worked and worked until it was perfect. This is my time to shine. You have ten fucking restaurants and all the money in the world, and you can't let me have my moment? You can't let me have my creations, you have to take all that too? God how fucking greedy can one person be?" Paige ranted.

"You know what, you little brat? That's enough. Sign the fucking contract and get out of my sight," she snapped.

"I'll do you one better, Chrissy," she muttered, standing out of her chair. She was filled with white hot rage. She wasn't sure she had ever been so angry in her life, and she knew in that moment there was only one thing left to say. Clenching her jaw, she brought the papers up to Christina's eyeline, slowly and dramatically tearing them right down the middle and tossing them into her lap.

"I quit,"

She stormed out of the office and back to the kitchen, unbuttoning her chef's coat as she went. She swung by her station, grabbing her knife bag before turning quickly on her heels and barging out the back door. There, she found Emily and Hanna, sitting at the picnic table on the loading dock, laughing about something on Hanna's phone.

"Paige? What's wrong?" Emily asked, noticing the tears on her cheeks. She stood up from her seat, rushing to stand in front of her.

"I just quit. She's such a...I don't even...God I can't even believe her!" Paige ranted.

"Slow down, baby...what happened?" she tried to soothe her, putting her hands on Paige's shoulders.

"She tried to trap me here forever. Tried to make me sign a fucking contract that she owns everything I cooked the other night,"

"That doesn't even make sense," Emily shook her head.

"Exactly. I'm done, Em. I can't do it anymore. I gotta figure out my next step, and I can't do it here,"

"Okay, well then I'm leaving too…" she started and Paige cut her off.

"No. You have to stay, Em. You need the money. This place is good for you right now, but it's not good for me. Just let me go, it'll be alright," she pleaded.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I...I have no idea. I'll figure it out. Just don't worry okay? And don't quit. Stay here and take as much of that bitch's money as you can. You too, Han. Tell Angie and everyone I'm sorry,"

"They'll understand," Hanna cut in, "Paige, if you need anything, seriously text me. I'll leave this dump in a second for you,"

"Thanks Han. I'll see you guys later. Get in there before she sees you talking to me. I don't want either of you getting in trouble," she told them.

"Please text me when you get wherever you're going so I know you're okay," Emily pleaded, "I'm really freaked out you're this upset,"

"I'll be fine. Don't worry. I'll text you later," she replied, and pulled Emily close for a kiss, "Bye,"

She trotted down the concrete stairs, jogging to her Jeep, her open chef's coat flapping behind her as she ran. When she finally reached it she threw open the door and climbed in, immediately breaking into an angry sob, her face planted against the steering wheel.

"What the hell did I just do…" she muttered to herself, looking up and catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She wiped at her eyes with the backs of her hands, taking a couple of deep breaths to try and settle herself.

When she was finally breathing evenly again, she pulled out her phone. She wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to call Owen, she wanted to call her mom and dad. Deciding, though, that she didn't want to worry her family when she was upset, she settled on texting Courtney Calloway, someone who might actually have some advice.

 _May want to hold off on your article...I just quit_

She waited only a moment before she got a response.

 _ **Shouldn't be an issue, considering I'm three pages in and haven't even written the word Dontana's yet. What happened?**_

 _Long story...are you at your office? Can I swing by?_

 _ **Sure you can. I was just about to order some lunch so you're just in time**_

 _Not sure I have an appetite…_

 _ **So we'll have a liquid lunch? That sounds like just what this Monday needs. How about you meet me at Nico's instead?**_

 _Be there in ten_


	19. Chapter 19

Hi everyone! I am sorry, as always seem to be, about the time between updates. I have been distracted lately I guess is the best way to put it. Thanks for all the continued support. I hope you enjoy :)

* * *

By the time Paige made it to Nico's, a quaint pub just a few blocks down the road, and headed inside, she could already see Courtney, huddled in a corner booth, typing away on her laptop.

"Hey..." she mumbled as she shuffled up to her, taking the seat across from her, "thank you for meeting me,"

"My pleasure. You alright?"

"I...don't really know. Should I be?"

"You will be, eventually. But first, you need a drink," she replied, holding her hand in the air to wave over a waitress.

"Another sangria?" the waitress offered, picking up the empty glass before waiting for an answer.

"Yes, please. Though I think my friend here will need something stronger," she replied, gesturing to Paige.

"Oh, uh...I have to drive, so..."

"Don't worry about it, honey. Worst case scenario, we call a cab. Have whatever you want. We'll get you home safe. And besides, I'm buying," she insisted.

"Okay...um...I'll take a So- Co and Coke, please. On the rocks, with lime,"

"Coming up," the waitress smiled, and Paige reciprocated with a tight lipped smile of her own, appreciating not being judged for ordering hard liquor at eleven o'clock in the morning, "any food?"

"Yes, but we'll hold off for a bit. Just the drinks for now," Courtney replied.

"Okay, no problem," and she was off to gather their drinks.

"So...you want to tell me what that nauseating sea witch did this time?" Courtney asked. Paige was currently tearing the paper ring from around her silverware, concentrating on ripping it into long, even strips, and scattering them around on the table.

"The menu I came up with for the other night, for you..." she began, and with a sigh, looked up from her mess and made eye contact, "a lot of people have been calling, asking if we still have those things,"

"With good reason..." she cut in.

"So she offered to add them to the menu full time. If I signed some bullshit contract saying that they are signature Dontana's dishes, so if I leave and get a job somewhere else, she owns all rights to the recipes. I mean is that even real? Can she even do that legally?" she rambled.

"If she found someone dumb enough to sign it, yeah. Luckily you didn't,"

"It just sounded so stupid to me. She actually tried acting like she came up with those dishes, like I'd be working a pretzel cart without her. If I would've done things her way, you would've had risotto and filet. She would've played it safe. I went out on a limb and it went well, and now she wants to take credit for it? She's such a...such a...a..."

"Nauseating sea witch?" Courtney repeated, and Paige chuckled back dryly.

"Yeah. Yeah, that pretty much nails it,"

"So how do you feel? Other than wanting to rip her head off?"

"Scared. Lost. Wondering what I do next. Wondering if everything I worked so hard on was even worth it. Wondering if I'm as good as people say I am, because if I was respectable as an artist, she wouldn't even have thought to try and pull one over like me like that..." she explained, shaking her head.

"Paige," she cut her off, "don't for a second think that woman's thought process runs that deep. She only respects one thing, and that's cold hard cash. She may not have respected you, but that says nothing about you and everything about her. She's manipulative and selfish and at the end of the day, she's a typical greedy business woman. She saw you had something worth having, and believed it was her right to take it away from you. You proved you are respectable as an artist when you walked out of there,"

The waitress came back with their drinks, Paige barely waiting for it to hit the table before swiping the glass up to her lips and taking a few hearty gulps. She dropped off a few food menus, leaving them on the edge of the table and leaving them to their conversation. Even though she hadn't planned on ordering food, Paige picked up the menu and began scanning it anyhow.

"So what do I do now?" she asked as she browsed their selection of appetizers.

"Whatever you want to," Courtney shrugged, "there's a hundred places this side of Broad Street that would hire you in a heartbeat. If I was you, though, I'd do a little soul searching,"

"Easier said than done," Paige chuckled, "soul search how?"

"Relax. Eat, travel, write...whatever feels good. Get back in touch with you and figure out what makes Paige happy. Figure out your dreams and chase them, or else you'll spend your life making someone else's dreams come true,"

"I guess that makes sense," Paige mumbled.

"What did Emily have to say about this?"

"I didn't give her much of a chance to say anything," Paige replied with a shrug, "just kind of gave her the gist and took off. She said she'd quit too but I figured it'd probably be better for her to stay,"

"Yeah, no point in you both being out of work. Besides, it seems like she really has the customers wrapped around her finger there. Everyone in her section was in love with her both times I was there," she recalled, "she must make great tips,"

"Yeah, she's pretty incredible. She's saving up for school so I told her to just rack up all the cash she can. Not to worry about me,"

"I see where her heart is at. But you're going to be alright, kiddo," she winked, "you should try this sangria. Top notch," she continued as she sipped at her drink.

"I'm sure. I'm more of a white wine girl," she chuckled, and picked up her own glass, "or whiskey, I guess, depending on the occasion,"

"Well, here's to occasion then," Courtney smiled, and tapped her glass to Paige's, "to you investing in your own future instead of Christina's,"

"When you put it that way, it doesn't sound like the worst decision I ever made," Paige laughed.

"It's not the worst decision you've ever made. I've only known you a week and I can tell you that pretty confidently. Just take some time to unwind. I bet in a month or so you'll wonder why you even second guessed walking out of that place,"

"Thanks..." Paige blushed, "so what about the piece? Do you have to trash it now?"

"Why in the world would I do that?" she laughed.

"Doesn't make much sense to promote an unemployed chef," Paige shrugged.

"I told you my piece isn't about Dontana's. Doesn't matter where I sat and ate that meal, whether it was there or in your apartment or my own. Fact is you cooked me a great menu, and I would like to write about that. You don't have to be tied to a restaurant to be in the magazine. Think of yourself as an independent contractor. Or a free agent. It's only a matter of time until someone sees your talent and snags you up,"

"You really think so?"

"I do," she grinned, and patted Paige's hand from across the table, "now...cheer up, would ya? You did what you had to do. Leave the rest to me,"

"Okay. Okay, thanks,"

"You're welcome. Now let's day drink and have some lunch," she replied, grabbing a menu for herself, "this place has a tuna melt that will knock your socks off,"

* * *

Emily huffed in frustration as she cleared one of her tables of dirty dishes, stacking plates and soup bowls as neatly as she could to carry them back to the dish room. Lunch so far had been a shit show, and as if Paige walking out hadn't been enough, the busser had called in sick last minute, and now Emily and the other waitresses had to bus their own tables in between customers. If this were any indication of what was to come in Dontana's Paige-less future, Emily was glad she'd be heading back to North Carolina in a month. Serving pizza by the slice to hungry, broke college students for chump change would be a tough adjustment after racking in the big bucks all summer, but the backup in the kitchen was already starting to reflect on her tips just two hours into lunch. Paige's presence was what made Dontana's spectacular, and nothing proved it quicker than her absence.

She was worried about Paige, but aside from sending a few quick texts, hadn't yet had time to get the full scoop from her. It was frustrating to say the least, and she couldn't wait to finish her shift and get to Paige.

Chrissy had addressed the staff, informing them of Paige's departure, relaying it to them as a simple "difference of opinion" and promoting Paige's sous chef Greg to run the kitchen in the interim. She found herself biting her tongue to keep from calling Chrissy out for what she had done to Paige, and she could tell by the looks on Hanna and Angie's faces, they were fighting that same internal battle.

"Let me give you a hand baby girl," Angie offered, scooping some of the dishes out of Emily's arms and leading the two of them toward the kitchen.

"What about the bar?" Emily replied.

"Everyone's topped off for the moment," she answered, "when we're in the weeds like this everybody's gotta have everybody's back,"

"Thanks, Angie,"

"No problem love. You hanging in there?"

"I guess so," she shrugged, walking through the kitchen door as Angie held it open for her, "I just hope Paige is alright,"

"Paige is a smart cookie, honey. She'll be alright. I've been telling her to walk out on that bitch for a long time. I mean shit, I'm probably gonna follow her, soon as I make rent," she replied.

"I hope you're right," Emily forced a smile. She lay her armful of dishes onto the dish table, ignoring the eye roll she got from the dishwashers, and headed to the line as Angie followed suit. She knew it probably wasn't the best idea, but she had to talk to the chef.

"Um...Greg?" she choked out at the new head chef, who was sweating and franticly stirring several pots at once, "um my table with the two flounders are getting a little antsy. Do you have any idea when they'll be done?"

"Not now, Em," he grunted, not even bothering to look up at her.

"Okay, it's just...they keep rolling their eyes at me and I'm pretty sure they're ready to walk. If you could just..."

"If I could just what?!" he barked, cutting her off, "look Em, I'm elbow deep in orders, it'll get out when it gets out. I'm sure Paige thought it was super cute when you'd come back here and update her on the customers' emotional state, but she's the reason I'm stuck here getting my ass handed to me. So if you don't mind,"

"Cut the shit, Greg," Angie interrupted, stepping between the two of them, "we're drowning out there too. And you know this isn't Paige's fault, if Chrissy would've pulled that shit on you, you would've done the same thing. So if you want to blame someone, blame her,"

"Angie why don't you get back to the bar? It's not open house back here, I need some fucking space!" he hollered, and put two newly assembled dishes up on the pickup window, "two swordfish up! Somebody get on the goddamn flounder for table 9!"

"You can scream at me all you want," Angie replied, and looped her arm through Emily's, "but you give my girl shit again and I'll be back here faster than you can say 'Ow, my balls, please stop punching my balls!'" and with that, she led them back out to the dining room.

"You okay?" she asked Emily, who blew out a sigh as she ran a shaky hand through her hair.

"That was...really cool," she couldn't help but chuckle, "how do you make him listen to you like that?"

"He's not as scary as you think. Besides, he may tell you otherwise, but we both know at the end of this bullshit day he's gonna end up getting drunk and calling yours truly for a quickie. He knows the second he gets on my last nerve, candy store is closed," she explained.

"You and Greg? Since when?" Emily gasped through a grin.

"He's just a booty call," she waved off, "you sure you're good? I mean it girl, he gives you shit you let me know. We all gotta get through this together,"

"Yeah I'm good," she smiled.

"Thatta girl. Come on, let's make some magic,"

* * *

"Ry Ry!" Paige slurred into the phone as soon as her brother picked up and she heard his hurried 'hello' from the other line. She knew he was working, but she couldn't help it. After lunch and several drinks, she found herself in the back of a cab headed home, dying to talk to her brothers.

"Paigey," he chuckled, "it's a little early to be drinking. You okay?"

"I'm good. Are you good? What are you doing?"

"I'm putting down ceramic tile in the new movie theatre bathrooms. Eight million degrees and the air conditioning guy is running late, can ya believe it? What about you? Did you accidentally put rum in your cereal this morning?" he laughed.

"Nope," she chuckled in reply, "I quit my job and got drunk with the food critic who is writing a review about me. Oh and I had some nachos,"

"Wow...and it isn't even two-thirty," he joked, "you sure you're alright? What happened?"

"Yeah Ry, I'm fine. I'll figure it out. What else is up, how is my nephew? Is he there, let me talk to him!" she mumbled.

"Yeah...even if I did have my three-year-old son with me on a job site, I'm not sure a phone conversation with his drunk Aunt Paige would be a good idea,"

"Shut up, I'm not that drunk..." she scoffed, "for all he would know I would just be silly and enthuse...enthust...enthusiastic,"

"Uh huh," he laughed, "look I'll probably be done here in an hour or so. Do you need me to come down there? It's not a big deal if you need me to. Jen has the night off so I won't even have to find a sitter. We can get pizza and hot wings, watch the game, talk this whole thing out? What do you think?" he offered.

"Ry Ry, really I'm fine. I'm going to go home, play Rock Band and make Emily a bangin' dinner. Don't worry so much,"

"It's not that easy Paigey. I don't really like the idea of my little sister wandering around the city drunk and alone,"

"Well then we have no problem. I'm in a cab and I'll be home any minute," she insisted.

"Uh huh. How about when you sober up? You still going to be happy about your choices?"

"I knew I should've called Owen," she laughed, "she tried to steal my recipes, Ryan. If you drew blueprints for like... a water park and your boss told you that you had to sign them over as his how would you feel?"

"Why a water park?" he barked a laugh, and she sighed.

" _Ryan_..." she whined, pinching the bridge of her nose dramatically, recognizing how like her mother she must've looked, even though nobody was watching her, and slapping her free hand back down onto her lap. She guessed her brother could picture it just by the tone of her voice.

"Alright, alright. I get it. You told her where to stick it right?"

"Pretty much. I know it's stupid. I know I shouldn't have left my job without having another one. Mom and dad will probably never let me hear the end of it. But I just couldn't stand there...or sit there I guess...and let her try to take my recipes. I mean what would that make me? A...like a...a..." she stuttered, and her brother chuckled again from the other line.

"A sell- out?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, "a sell- out! She's the sell- out, man. She's so lucky and she doesn't even know it. She owns like seven thousand restaurants and all she wants to do is sit and count her money. She has no respect for food. It isn't fair," she replied with a groan, "what do I do?"

"Do whatever you gotta do, Paigey," he answered, "pound the pavement and show someone out there what you can do. Make somebody believe in you the way I do, mom and dad and the guys do, like Emily does. Preferably someone who can bank roll you. You have all the talent and creativity. Find a way to get some cash and do things your way. Wasn't that always the plan anyhow?"

"What if I can't?" she croaked.

"Oh come on, Paige," came his reply, "Look I know you feel like the underdog right now, but who doesn't love a good underdog story? Don't let that lady have the satisfaction of knocking you down and out. Drive her nuts by becoming what she could never be,"

"Woah," she slurred, "that's deep,"

"I try," he laughed in reply, "you sure you're gonna be okay?"

"I think. Will you give my nephew a hug and kiss for me? Since you won't let me talk to him?" she quipped, and he barked a laugh.

"I'm sure he'd love to talk to you, Paigey. It's just that I can smell the rum on your breath through the phone, so..." he teased.

"Ha ha. It was whiskey, jerk face,"

"Aww, so sweet, little sis! Sounds like you're ready for a nap, huh? Maybe skip your super grown up Rock Band plans and sleep off your booze?" he joked.

"And deny my neighbors the opportunity to hear me flex these golden pipes in the middle of the day? I think not,"

"Wow. I want to be you when I grow up, Paigey," he laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. Are you done making fun of your poor, unemployed sister? 'Livin' On A Prayer' ain't gonna sing itself,"

"I guess so, rock star. You almost home?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm like two blocks away," she replied, "thanks for everything, bro- bro. If you talk to mom, this conversation never happened,"

"Your secret's safe with me, Paigey. But you know the best time to tell Val bad news is always yesterday," he warned.

"I'm not talking about the job thing. I'm talking about the drunk in the back of a cab at two in the afternoon thing," she replied.

"Ah yes," he sighed, "she would be less than pleased to hear that part,"

"Exactly. Okay I'm home, byeeee!" she she hollered, throwing a few crumpled bills from her pocket into the front seat for the cab driver.

"Bye Paigey. I'll call your tomorrow to see how much of this you remember," he laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. Bye Ry Ry! Hey, that rhymed..." she slurred.

"Get inside Paige. And stay off Facebook alright? Love you,"

"Love you too, broski. Byeee!"


	20. Chapter 20

By the time Emily finally clocked out of the longest shift of her life, she wondered how on Earth she was able to keep her eyes open. Her back and feet ached, she felt a migraine pulsating inside her skull and all she wanted was to curl up on the couch with Paige and some takeout, talk things out and get some sleep.

She and Paige had texted throughout the day, here and there when Emily had a moment, but the replies from Paige had died down a few hours into dinner shift, and Emily was just hoping Paige's drinks had caught up with her and she was snoozing on the couch.

"You outta here baby girl?" Angie interrupted her thoughts, taking a place next to her at the time clock, searching for the card with her name, scribbled in purple pen as it always was, and yanking it out of its slot.

"Yes. Hanna said she'd finish up my last table so I can go check on Paige. They're on coffee anyway, and Paige hasn't texted me back in hours," Emily replied, running a hand through her hair, the sigh escaping her lips heavy with the exhaustion of the day.

"I'm sure she's fine. You know Paigey can't hold her booze. She probably went home, made some mac and cheese and danced her skinny ass around until passed out. Seriously, if you get there and she isn't snoring on the couch, I'd be blown away," Angie shrugged.

"I hope you're right," Emily replied, "she certainly seemed tipsy and happy in her texts. I just can't get the look on her face out of her head. When she left I mean. She looked so hurt, so scared..."

"I'm sure she was, honey," Angie punched her card, and slid it back into place, "but fuck Chrissy. Paige just needs to Justin Timberlake her ass, and all will be fine,"

"Come again?" Emily laughed back, and Angie shook her head as she looped her arm through Emily's and began leading them out to the parking lot.

"Em, what year are you from?" she deadpanned, "this place, is N'sync. And Paigey, Paigey is Justin Timberlake. This place wouldn't be shit without her, and she had some awesome success here, but ultimately the best thing she could do was leave this place behind. She's just gotta make her mark out there as a solo artist, and before you know it she'll be the top of the pops, rolling around in big stacks of cash and panties," she rambled.

"Panties?" Emily squeaked.

"Well, okay, maybe just cash. Unless hot, rich chefs turn you on, then I guess she'll have your panties," she winked.

"Alright, alright," Emily laughed back, "speaking of hot chefs, are you gonna hang out with Greg tonight?"

"Hmm...as much as I'd love to say no, he'll be texting me for a hookup before my ass hits the couch," she rolled her eyes.

"You could always say no?" Emily shrugged, "Tell him you're tired?"

"I can't. He's carved out of freakin marble under that chef's coat. And his tongue...it's like they designed him in a lab for a woman's pleasure," she sighed.

"Okay..." Emily chuckled softly, "gross,"

"Oh, whatever, lesbian," Angie rolled her eyes.

"Sorry!" she laughed, "it's just...he's kinda the boss now, I don't want to think about him like that,"

"Girl, he's lucky I can think of him like that, otherwise I would've beat his face in for the way he talked to you earlier. I mean I still will if you want me to," she offered.

"Nah, that's okay," Emily laughed, "I mean I get it. He's probably so nervous. And today was rough on everybody. I know he didn't mean it,"

"Maybe not. Don't worry though, girl. I'll make sure he never talks to you like that. Even if I have to lay all my future orgasms on the line," she replied.

"Don't...that's...I'm fine Angie. I'm sure Paige has raised her voice with people at work before. I'm sure not going to put my relationship on the line to call her out on it," Emily shrugged.

"We're not in a relationship, okay? I told you before, it's a..."

"Booty call," Emily cut her off, "yeah I know. Except I can totally tell you like him," she teased.

"Easy there, girly. Just cause you're dating my best friend doesn't mean you have an all access pass to Angie okay? I have needs, that is all," she argued, and Emily shook her head playfully.

"Whatever you say. I guess I just think you guys make a cute couple," she shrugged, "and didn't you just say this morning you want a summer love like Paige and I have?", she laughed. Angie groaned back, unhooking their arms as they approached their cars in the lot.

"Okay, you're done. Go check on our girl alright? Text me and let me know she's alright," she asked and Emily nodded.

"Of course. Enjoy your...um...evening," she smiled, and with another roll of her eyes, Angie was in the car and gone.

* * *

Emily became aware of two things as she stepped out of the elevator in Paige's apartment building. One was the music blasting so loud it was vibrating the floor, and the other was the delicious smell of food cooking. Before she even made it halfway down the hall, she could tell both were coming from Paige's apartment.

She rose her fist to knock as she approached the door, but deciding from the volume of the rock music coming from inside, she guessed Paige wouldn't hear her anyway, and tried the knob.

What met her eyes wasn't quite what she expected, which would've been Paige, passed out and snoring on the couch, but regardless, she couldn't help the chuckle that snuck past her lips at the sight in front of her.

There, just in front of the couch was Paige, in pajama bottoms and a white tank, standing atop her coffee table, microphone in hand as she sang along with the _Rockband_ game on her television screen.

" _I've been around the world...I've seen a million girls, yeah...ain't one of them got, what my lady she got...she's stealin the spotlight, knocks me off my feet...she's enough to start a landslide, just a-walkin down the street, yeah!"_

Emily felt so many things as she watched her girlfriend dance around like a fool like this. The first thing she felt was relief, seeing that not only did Paige seem okay, but looked to really be enjoying herself. Of course, there was also the tightening in her belly, watching as Paige gyrated her hips back and forth, and whipped her head around wildly as she sang, obviously still oblivious to Emily's arrival.

" _Yeah the girl's not rhythm...she's got that back seat rhythm...the girl's got rhythm..."_ she continued to sing, and Emily decided to take a load off and enjoy the show, setting her purse on the ground and sinking into the recliner next to Paige's couch. She was curious what the marvelous smell was that seemed to be permeating its way around the apartment from Paige's kitchen, her stomach rumbling in hunger after the long day, but the ache in her back and legs won out for the moment, and she slid her shoes off, tucking them off to the side as she got comfortable.

"Oh yeah, baby! High score!" Paige hollered out as she finished up, hopping down off the coffee table and engaging in a celebratory dance. Emily chuckled softly, alerting Paige to her presence with a round of applause, her laughter only deepening as Paige's head whipped around, her eyes bulging in shock and jaw hanging open.

"Holy shit!" she yelled, startled, "babe you scared me! How long have you been there?" she asked, clutching her chest as she fought to catch her breath. Her cheeks were flushed, and Emily wasn't sure if she was embarrassed or still drunk.

"Only a minute," she smiled, "that was pretty impressive,"

"Ah..." she choked out, pushing her sweaty hair out of her face with a nervous chuckle, "I was just playing around," she explained, and leaned down to greet Emily with a kiss.

"How was your day?" she whispered against her lips, stealing one more quick peck before sitting on the edge of the coffee table across from her, holding her hands.

"Rough," Emily sighed, "we were booked solid and short-handed. I got crappy tips because the kitchen was backed up. Chrissy tried helping on the line but it just made it worse. It was just...rough,"

"Damn, sorry babe. I feel like that's my fault," Paige winced.

"Don't. Nobody blames you. Well, except Chrissy I guess. It was just a tough day," she replied, and it was followed almost immediately by a yawn.

"You're beat," Paige surmised, "your pajamas are still on my bed from last night. Why don't you go get changed while I finish up dinner? I made eggplant parmesan, with spaghetti and salad and garlic bread," she explained, and Emily's mouth watered at the thought.

"That sounds amazing," she crooned, "I could smell it half way down the hall. I'll change after we eat. I've been waiting all day to talk to you,"

"Talk to me about what?" Paige replied, Emily rolling her eyes as she laced their fingers together.

"Come on Paige. I was really worried, you know. Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine babe. I'm great, actually. I mean...this morning sucked. I thought I could kill Chrissy, you know?" she replied, and Emily nodded in understanding.

"Of course. You obsessed over that menu. I can't imagine how that must've felt. She had no right,"

"Well, according to Courtney, if I would've been dumb enough to sign it, she would've had every right. Which makes no sense to me, but I guess that's why I don't have my name on a restaurant yet," she explained with a laugh.

"You will. You just have to...what did Angie say...go all Justin Timberlake on her," Emily recalled, and Paige barked out a laugh.

"That totally sounds like something she'd say. But yeah, I mean that's what I have to do right? Prove I can hack it on my own? Make her jealous and beg me to come back?"

"I mean, yeah. But don't you dare let her talk you into it," Emily warned.

"Don't worry. That place is dead to me," Paige sighed, "I mean, not you and Hanna and Angie and everyone. I still love everyone else, obviously. But I wouldn't go back there if my life depended on it. Well maybe if my life _literally_ depended on it. But...only to like, make myself like a chicken sandwich or something. You know, so I could keep living. But then I'd be done," she smirked and Emily shook her head.

"Good," Emily smiled, "so you really do seem okay. I worried over nothing all day?"

"I guess so. I mean at first I was freaking out. But talking to Courtney helped. She said she's going to rush the article to maybe help with job prospects. I mean, having Courtney Calloway write a fluff piece on you is better than any resume in the world. Plus, I got to get drunk in the middle of the day, and talk to my brothers, I had a nap...oh, and I beat my high score on Rockband," she rambled, and Emily couldn't help but laugh.

"That's good," she yawned.

"Em...come on, I made a really nice dinner. Let's just forget about this day and relax. We'll eat, pop in a movie? I promise I'm fine. In fact, I still have to make the pasta. If you want, that's plenty of time for you to relax and take a bubble bath?" she offered.

"That sounds like heaven," Emily sighed.

"Go ahead in. There's candles under the sink if you want a little relaxing light. I'll bring you in a glass of wine?"

"That would be amazing. Thanks Paige...I feel like I should be taking care of you right now,"

"Don't be silly. We take care of each other. Besides, I'm fine. I'm Justin Timberlake remember?" she teased and Emily barked a laugh.

"I'm glad you and Angie speak the same language. Oh, by the way," she gasped, smacking Paige's arm playfully, "how come you never told me about her and Greg?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, "it's just a booty call,"

"Right. Except it totally isn't," Emily rolled her eyes with a smile, "she totally likes him. And she totally has him wrapped around her finger,"

"I don't know Em...Angie's pretty straight up about what she wants. I think if she says it's a booty call, it's just a booty call," Paige replied.

"If you say so. But if you ask me, they're totally in love," Emily replied, and stood from the chair, stretching her back with a yawn, "and I know a thing or two about falling for the chef," she finished with a wink, and sauntered off to take her bath, Paige smiling ear to ear in her wake.

* * *

The next day found Paige a little less enthusiastic, though still okay, when she awoke to make Emily breakfast. She had gotten a few hours of sleep, but had woken up rather early, and lay in bed replaying the events of the day before over and over in her mind, trying to come to terms with what it was really going to mean to be an unemployed chef. She wondered how quickly news would spread through the Philly restaurant scene, and worse, back to her parents. She knew she'd have to face them sooner or later, and in her sleeplessness decided sooner would be better.

When she finally got out of bed, Emily still snoring softly, Paige's Phillies blanket wrapped tightly around her, she had set out to tidy up her apartment and make Emily breakfast in bed.

It had turned into quite a production, though she wasn't all that surprised. Just like was evidenced by the stack of Tupperware containers in her fridge, cooking was not only an art form for Paige, it was how she processed her stress and self-doubt. She had no idea what the next few weeks, or potentially months held for her, but she knew she couldn't afford to slack off and get rusty. At least that's what she told herself as she had stacked Emily's plate with cheesy scrambled eggs, crisp home fries, sizzling bacon and three perfectly golden brown slices of French toast.

They had chatted while they ate, Emily perched up on the pillows, tray in her lap, feeding bites to Paige who lay on her side right next to her. Paige had told her that she planned to go see her parents, Emily agreeing that it was a good idea, not only to get the bad news out of the way, but to maybe get some perspective from the people who had given her the love of cooking in the first place.

Emily wanted nothing more than to take the day off and spend the day with Paige, but knew with only a month left before heading back to school, she was in no position to be giving up shifts. So after their breakfast in bed, and a few separate showers, Paige dropped Emily off at work, and hit the turnpike headed to her parents' home in New Jersey.

She wasn't at all surprised to see both of her parents already outside when she pulled into their driveway, Nick mowing the front lawn, and Val watering the flowers in the hanging baskets on the porch. It was exactly how Paige pictured their happy retirement, and she couldn't help but smile as she parked the car. Nick hadn't heard her pull in, most likely due to the sound of the lawn mower, but Val spotted her right away, placing down her watering can and trotting down the porch steps to greet her daughter.

"Paige?" she bellowed as she approached the car Paige was climbing out of, "are you alright? What are you doing here, why aren't you at work?" she rambled, pulling her youngest child into a hug as soon as the car door was closed behind her.

"Hi mom. I'm fine, don't worry. Just wanted to visit," she replied.

"You're off today?" Val asked as she released the hug, tucking a strand of hair behind Paige's ear, still looking concerned.

"Something like that. Nice day huh?"

"It's beautiful out. Have you eaten? I'll go make you something, what do you want? Pancakes? Grilled ham and cheese? Spaghetti?" she offered and Paige barked a laugh.

"That's quite a menu, mom," she chuckled, "I had a little bit of Em's breakfast. But I didn't come all this way to turn down mama's blueberry pancakes,"

"You got it, sweetie. I'll go get started on that, your father will be hungry soon anyhow. You want to come help me and talk? Or wait until we sit down to eat to tell me why you're really here?" she pressed, and Paige hung her head with a chuckle, wondering how in the hell she ever thought she could be discreet enough to hold her mother off for even a second.

"Let's talk when we eat. I promise it's nothing terrible. I'm not hurt or sick or anything," she tried to assure her.

"Glad to hear it. But you're skinny as a rail, so you are leaving here with a full belly whether you like it or not. Come on inside," she wrapped an arm around her daughter and led her into the house, leaving Nick outside tending to the lawn, though he had caught on to his daughter's presence, acknowledging it with a wave until his chore was complete.

"Have you heard from your brother? How's that leg doing?" Val asked as they made their way into the kitchen, Paige taking a seat at one of the bar stools set at their island, watching as her mother started ransacking the fridge for ingredients.

"I talked to him yesterday. He's hurting but I think more than anything he's bored out of his mind. And mad he can't help Brittany pack and stuff," Paige shrugged.

"Your dad talked about renting a U-Haul and driving it down. And I think Ryan is going down to help too," Val explained and Paige nodded in agreement.

"Yeah. I told Owen I'd come down next weekend to help out. The sooner they get all moved into the new place the sooner he can just relax and heal,"

"That's nice of you sweetheart," Val smiled as she poured a glass of orange juice, sliding it to her daughter across the island.

"Thanks," Paige grinned, and brought the glass to her lips, taking a few large gulps as Val set to work making the pancake mix.

"So how's Emily? Is everything okay with you two?" Val asked.

"Everything's great with us. Just spending as much time as we can together before she goes back to school. She's at work," she explained, and Val simply nodded.

"That's good. Have you heard from Kelsey at all?"

"No...she told me she wanted me to leave her alone, so...I am. Hanna has been checking in on her though, making sure she's alright. I uh...I'm sure she'll be back to work any day now," she explained.

"She's been missing work because of your break up?"

"Well, it's not like she's calling out. She asked for a few weeks off and I told her I would cover for her. It's no big deal, she just didn't want to be around me," Paige shrugged, and Val shook her head as she cracked eggs into her mixing bowl full of dry ingredients.

"She wasn't blameless in the whole ordeal, Paige. Don't let her make you feel crummy about it,"

"I'm not mom. I'm sorry that she's hurting but I'm really happy with Emily. The rest she has to work out on her own. I apologized for the things I did wrong, and that's all I can do," she shrugged.

"That's my girl. I think Emily is good for you. I just hope you guys can work through things while she's down south,"

"Me too. But I really, really am ready to try, so I think it'll be fine. I'll drive down there every weekend if I have to," Paige replied.

"That's a lot of miles on your car, baby. And I don't think your father would particularly like the idea of you on those crazy highways all by yourself every weekend. He's getting old Paigey, we have to keep an eye on his ticker,"

"What difference does it make? I drive on the spaghetti highways of Philly every day of my life. I survived the turnpike just fine on my way here," Paige laughed, and her mother arched a warning eyebrow as she stirred her pancake batter.

"You know how your father is. What happens if you break down on the side of the road? There's crazy people out in the world. Maybe your dad should look over your car real good while you're here, make sure everything's in good shape,"

"Mom, the Jeep is brand new. I live ten blocks from work, I hardly put any miles on. Besides all that stuff got checked the other week when I got my oil changed. The car is good and I'm a good driver. Don't worry," Paige argued, and Val shook her head.

"Paige, he's checking the car over, end of story," she replied, and Paige knew not to push it any farther, holding her hands up in defeat with a laugh.

After a few moments chatting with her mom, Paige smiled as she heard the front door open and close, her father sauntering into the kitchen, dabbing at his forehead and neck with a towel.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the two most beautiful gals in the whole world," he greeted, kissing Paige on the forehead where she sat, before making his way around the island to drop a kiss to his wife's cheek, "oh, blueberry pancakes? You should stop in more often kiddo. You know your ma made me plain oatmeal for breakfast yesterday?" he explained with a laugh, and Val rolled her eyes.

"It had vanilla and cinnamon in it," she argued, "I didn't hear you complaining while you ate two bowls of it,"

"Happy wife, happy life," he smiled, and kissed his wife again, "so what brings you by kiddo? The restaurant decided they don't need you on a Tuesday at lunch time?"

"Uh...actually..." she stammered, rubbing the back of her neck nervously, "actually, I decided I didn't need the restaurant. Not that one, anyway," she admitted.

"You quit?" Val asked, her head tilted to the side in question as she waited on more from her daughter. Nick picked at the blueberries from the dish on the island, waiting for his daughter to gather her thoughts as he could practically see the gears turning in her mind.

"I did...I quit. Yesterday," she began.

"What happened?" Nick asked through a mouthful, Val slapping his hand as he reached for more blueberries, causing Paige to chuckle under her breath before letting out a deep sigh.

"Long story short, all my recipes that I came up with for my magazine interview? Chrissy tried to steal them," she shrugged.

"Steal them?" Nick questioned.

"She tried to make me sign a contract that everything I served that night was hers. Was property of the restaurant. She tried to take away everything I worked for. She tried to cheapen my article and cheapen me. So I ripped up the stupid contract and...I quit," she told them, blowing out a shaky breath and running a hand through her hair as she finished.

"Well who the hell does she think she is?" Nick replied, "from what you've told me, she doesn't even know how to cook, she just sits her ass in the office doing the books,"

"Exactly! How could I keep working for someone like that, dad? Remember at my birthday party, you told me to do whatever I have to do to be happy? Well I haven't been happy there for a long time, and there's no way I could've been happy working for her after that. I would've felt like a caged animal. Like a circus freak who had to dance for her whenever she said. That's not why I love cooking. I want to own a restaurant to make people happy. The way you guys used to. People in Philly _still_ miss the pub. Even Courtney freakin Calloway, who owns some of the best restaurants in the city, loved the pub. When she interviewed me she told me so many stories from back when her and her friends would go there. That's what it's about right? Having the kind of place that makes people feel good? Not constantly thinking of ways to take their money, or kill the spirit of everyone who works for you. Right?" she rambled, and Nick reached his hand across the island to rest atop his daughter's, hoping to soothe her.

"Yeah, Paige. That's exactly what it's supposed to be about. I'm glad you didn't let her get the best of you. She didn't deserve you," he said.

"Mom?" she croaked.

"Honey, did you really think we'd be mad at you for quitting your job?" she replied, a hand clutched to her chest at her daughter's vulnerable state.

"I...well...you always told us not to quit a job unless you have another one. I mean financially, it wasn't the best move, I know that..."

"Paige, Paige, Paige. Honey, you're twenty- five years old with a culinary degree. You're going to make plenty of money. What I wouldn't be okay with is you staying in a situation where someone is taking advantage of you. Is Courtney still writing the article?" she asked and Paige nodded.

"Yeah. She's going to rush it, actually. To help with job prospects. And she's doing a demonstration at some cooking festival in a few weeks. She said maybe we can run a tent, sell some food. You know, just to meet some people and make a little extra cash,"

"Well that sounds fun," Nick cut in, "let us know when it is, we'll drive up and check it out,"

"Okay," she smiled, "so you guys are okay with this? Really?"

"Well I kind of want to give that lady a piece of my mind," Val admitted, "but yes, honey. It's fine. We just want you to be happy,"

"Thanks, mom. Dad," she replied.

"Go get em' kiddo," Nick added, stepping over to Paige's side of the island, gathering her into a hug, kissing the top of her head, "we're proud of you no matter what, alright?"

"Yeah. Thanks. I promise I'll figure it out,"

"I know you will, sweetheart," he smiled, releasing the hug and ruffling his daughter's hair as she laughed, swatting his hand away playfully.

"Why don't you two go sit in the den while I finish breakfast?" Val suggested, "are you in a rush Paige? I can make some bacon and cut up some fruit too,"

"No rush, mom," she smiled, "but you don't have to go crazy,"

"Hush. Go spend time with your dad. I'll come get you guys when it's ready. You want me to throw on another pot of coffee, honey?" she asked her husband.

"Nah, the eight cups we drank earlier was plenty," he winked, earning another roll of her eyes, "come on Paigey. I'm working on converting some of our old home movies to DVD. I'll show you what I've got so far. Remember when you and Owen tried to wash mom's car with Tide for Mother's Day? I'm telling you it's pure gold," he began leading her to the den with a hearty laugh.

"We washed mom's car with laundry soap?" she chuckled back.

"Sure did. Hey it's the thought that counts right. All you kids have hearts of gold, you know it? I know you probably think we worry too much, but we know you have a good head on your shoulders. You'll be fine. Ever since you were born, Paige. I knew you were gonna be a force to be reckoned with in this world," he explained.

"Really?"

"Sure. You had to be tough as nails to be born into this family. Four big brothers? I had one I couldn't deal with half the time. You hold your own with the boys and then some. So don't think for a second mom and dad think you're not strong enough to figure this out on your own. You got this, Paige. I know you do. My girl can do anything in the world she wants. Alright?"

"Yeah. Wow, thanks dad. I won't let you down, I promise," she told him and he laughed, pressing another kiss to the top of her head.

"Now that sounds like my favorite daughter,"

* * *

Thank you all for your patience. This one is dedicated to someone very special. They know who they are.

The song Paige sings to crush her _Rockband_ high score is "Girl's Got Rhythm" by ACDC.

Thank you for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

"Ha! Double word score, that's 104 points!"

"Paige," Emily shook her head with a laugh, "Tiddlywink is not a word,"

"Sure it is! Look it up!" she cried, stopping Emily's hand as she reached to pull Paige's tiles off the board.

"What is it then?" she teased, "what exactly is a Tiddlywink?"

"I don't know," Paige argued, though she was smiling, "but it's totally real! Judge's ruling, Mrs. Fields?"

A few weeks had gone by, and Paige was making the most of her unemployment. In fact, she was quite enjoying it. For the first time since graduating culinary school she had free time to do as she wished, and though she was living off her savings and had a tight budget, having the ability to sleep in a little late in the mornings and spend time with her girlfriend was something she was grateful for.

Spending time with Courtney was a plus, too. They had been meeting up a couple times a week for lunch, trying some spots in the city Paige hadn't yet been, and their talks really helped to soothe Paige's uncertainties about leaving her job.

Courtney was putting finishing touches on her article, which Paige had yet to read, and it was due to be released the following week, after their trip to the food festival in upstate New York. Paige had convinced Emily to take the weekend off of work and tag along, and so on Friday night they found themselves at the Fields' dining room table, engaged in a heated game of Scrabble with Pam while the dinner Paige insisted on making the three of them roasted in the oven. Their bags were packed by the door, as they'd be leaving early the next morning, and though Emily was excited for their trip, she couldn't have been happier watching her girlfriend, so comfortably herself in front of her mother.

"Looks like she's right, Em. According to the Scrabble dictionary, base value of 'Tiddlywinks' is 52 points," Pam replied, her reading glasses perched low on her nose as she read the information aloud.

"Ha! That's right," Paige teased, "thought you could cheat by hogging all those vowels, Em. You force me to show off,"

"You are such a dork. Mom, your turn. Open up this board so this brat stops winning," Emily laughed, watching as Paige dug into the bag of tiles, replacing the ones she had just lay down while Pam verified and scribbled down her score.

"You're a force to be reckoned with, Paige. Usually Emily is unbeatable at Scrabble," Pam told her between sips of her wine, "she makes her father and I look like amateurs, and we played this constantly when we were dating. It could get pretty competitive,"

"That's cool," Paige smiled, "kind of like a family tradition, I like that. Growing up with four brothers I'm pretty competitive with everything. I mean seriously, there's not much that Owen and I don't turn into a game,"

"It's true," Emily laughed, "when we were there last weekend to help them move, Brittany and I went out to get something to bring back for lunch. And Paige and Owen decided to see who could chug their milkshake faster,"

"Hey, I won didn't I?" Paige replied, Pam swirling the wine in her glass around as she chuckled, amused at both the story, and the banter between Paige and her daughter.

"Yeah how'd that work out for you?" Emily teased.

"I...got brain freeze," she admitted sheepishly, hiding behind her wine glass as she took a sip, "whatever, a win's a win. Hope you have a plan for all those vowels, Em, cause I'm sitting on a gold mine over here,"

"Don't you worry about my vowels. Mom you got something?"

"I'm working on it, honey. So, Paige, how is Owen feeling? Is his leg healing alright?" Pam asked as she shuffled around her tiles, looking for where she wanted to make her play.

"He's doing pretty good," Paige replied, "anxious to get his cast off but it'll be a few weeks yet. It came at the worst possible time but they're making the best out of it I guess. I'm just excited to have him back in the same state,"

"I bet. Emily told me the new house is beautiful. Are they getting all settled in?" she wondered.

"For the most part. A little bit of painting and last touches to do, but my other brother Ryan is supposed to finish that up this weekend," Paige explained.

"That's good. He's a contractor?"

"Yes. He's great at all that house stuff, and with Owen laid up he's kind of taken on the whole project. It was a lot of work but he did a really nice job," she told her.

"That's great," Pam smiled, "when Wayne and I bought this place, it needed a lot of work. We couldn't afford to hire someone so we just bought a bunch of home improvement books and rolled up our sleeves. He always loves stuff like that. I swear every time he comes home for a visit, he needs a project," she recalled with a laugh.

"My dad's the same way. Always trying to build something or fix something up. My mom jokes that his only buddies since retirement are the guys down at the hardware store," she explained and Pam nodded with a knowing chuckle.

"Your mom sure must've had her hands full with so many boys in the house. I bet you were her saving grace,"

"I don't know about that," Paige laughed, "I was quite a handful myself. Always getting into some kind of trouble trying to keep up with the boys,"

"Still, I'm sure it helped not feeling quite so outnumbered," Pam replied, "okay, here we go. Martini, on a triple word score for 36 points. Nothing compared to Tiddlywinks, but I will take it," she smiled as she lay her tiles down.

"Very nice. Your move, Em. I'll go check on dinner so you can concentrate," she teased, dropping a kiss onto her pouting lips as she got up to make her way into the kitchen.

"She's such a brat when she's good at something," Emily sighed, though she was smiling as she fidgeted with her letter tiles.

"I think she's a doll," Pam commented, "definitely my favorite of your girlfriends,"

"Well I sure hope so," Emily barked a laugh, "considering she's the first girl I've dated since 11th grade, I think my standards have changed quite a bit,"

"I'm just saying, Emmy. At first I was nervous about the age difference between you two, but Paige is wonderful. Charming and sweet and hardworking. Exactly the kind of person I'm happy to see you with. And it's nice to see the light in your eyes when you're around her," she explained, reaching up to touch her daughter's cheek, "I sure have missed that,"

"Me too, mom," she smiled, "I promise, Paige is the best thing in the world for me. I've never ever been this happy,"

"I'm glad. What about when you go back to school? Will things be alright?"

"I think so. We'll make it work. Oh, by the way, she wants to come down on move in day with us. See the campus and everything. Plus then we'll get an extra few hours together. And you'll need two cars anyway, so I can keep mine with me on campus. Is that okay?"

"It's fine...doesn't it cost money to park your car on campus?" she wondered.

"Yeah, $150 a semester...with all the money I made this summer I don't mind. I need to have my car so I can come home to visit when I want to," she shrugged.

"I guess that's fine, but don't be coming up here every weekend," Pam warned, "as much as I will miss you, you need to focus on your studies and your training. I'm sure Paige will understand that,"

"Of course she will, mom," Emily replied, "but having my car with me is important. I want to be able to do things farther away than just a few blocks from campus. Maybe I can even find a better paying job if I can venture farther into the city. I promise, I won't let it be a distraction,"

"Alright. I guess you and Paige can drive your car down and I will follow in mine with Hanna. If she's still joining us that is?"

"As far as I know," Emily shrugged, "she wants to see the campus too and her classes don't start until two weeks later. Plus she swears she's going to snag a country boy," she rolled her eyes.

"Well then," Pam chuckled, "sounds like we'll have a fun day,"

At that, Paige re-entered the room, dish towel tossed over her shoulder as she shuffled her way back into her seat.

"The roast is done. Just needs about a half hour or so to rest and then I will finish up the potatoes and we can eat. Hope everybody's hungry," she explained, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

"I sure am. It smells wonderful, Paige," Pam commented, "it's nice to sit and relax with a glass of wine while someone else makes me dinner for a change,"

"My pleasure," Paige smiled, "besides, gotta make sure I'm not getting rusty. I'm cooking for upwards of fifty thousand people this weekend," she laughed, sipping at her own wine.

"Paige, you've been unemployed fifteen days," Emily rolled her eyes playfully, "you're not getting rusty. Those people aren't going to know what hit them,"

"I hope you're right. This could be a big deal for me career wise. There's going to be lots of restauranteurs there. But I'm going in open minded. Just going to make some good food and eat some good food and have fun. I've always wanted to check this festival out anyhow,"

"There you go, stay positive," Pam replied, "there's something good in every experience, even if it isn't what you're expecting or hoping for,"

"Wow, I love that," Paige smiled, and raised her glass, "cheers. To finding the good,"

"To finding the good," Pam replied, clinking her glass against Paige's and they both drank.

"Well if you like that, try this on for size," Emily teased, and began to lay her tiles down, "Quench, on a triple word score with a double letter score on the H...makes that worth 76 points. And look who is catching up! Better step up your game, chef. I thought you were going to leave me in the dust?"

"Damn, Em, you were sitting on a Q? Nice freakin move. You totally opened up the board for me, though. And I mentioned my goldmine didn't I?" she played back, sticking her tongue out for good measure.

"Yeah, yeah. Talk is cheap, Tiddlywinks. Lay some tiles,"

* * *

"Man it is gorgeous up here!" Paige exclaimed. After a few hours in the car the following day, they had finally made it to their destination in beautiful Albany, New York for the famous New York State Food and Wine Festival. There were tents and vendors as far as the eye could see, the delicious smells of everything from tacos to barbecue filling the air, Paige's mouth all but watering on the spot. Emily couldn't help but smile, her girlfriend looking like a little kid in a candy store as her eyes bounced around the festival grounds.

"How about it? Our hotel is just a little down the road, so we'll just leave everything in the car," Courtney insisted, "I have a quick meeting before my seminar so why don't you two walk around and get something to eat? Then after I'm done we'll hit the bulk store and get some ingredients for tomorrow,"

"Sounds good," Paige agreed, "I'll make sure nobody's got anything on our menu. We gotta stand out,"

"I wouldn't worry about that. I got Paige McCullers and her black cherry Kobe beef sliders with me. We're going to be the talk of the festival, you mark my words. Emily, you make sure she doesn't start getting nervous alright? Make sure she has fun?"

"You know her pretty well already huh?" Emily chuckled.

"I can read her like a book. This weekend is gonna be a blast. No pressure, kid, so just have fun,"

"Yeah. I'm good, don't worry," Paige smiled, "I'm starving, babe, are you starving? I think I smell barbecued chicken," she licked her lips.

"Only you could pick that specific thing out of all these smells," Emily laughed, and laced her fingers together with Paige, "but yes, I am starving too. Let's eat,"

"I'll catch up with you guys in a few hours. Have fun," Courtney winked, and like that, she was off to tend to business, leaving Paige and Emily to their own devices.

They walked, hand in hand, through the festival, Paige pointing excitedly every time she saw someone eating something she thought looked particularly delicious, and making mental note of stands she thought Courtney might enjoy. They even stumbled upon the tent reserved for them, full of empty tables and a sparkling clean grill, along with propane tanks, refrigerators and some other random kitchen equipment. Emily grinned as she noticed the gleam in Paige's eye as she saw the sign taped to the side of the tent, " _Reserved for chefs C. Calloway and P. McCullers_ ", seeming to cement in her mind that in twenty- four hours, she would be cooking for the masses with a Philadelphia culinary legend. Paige knew if she had stayed at Dontana's, this opportunity may not have presented itself, and she in that moment couldn't have been more grateful, and Emily couldn't have been happier for her.

After a full round through the festival, seeing everything they had to offer, they had accumulated an armful of food each, including not only the barbecued chicken Paige had sniffed out, smothered in a spicy sauce, but also a couple fire-roasted, seasoned corn cobs, cheesy baked potatoes and two dishes of hand spun, fresh vanilla ice cream with a scratch made blueberry sauce topping that Paige had every intention on finishing before their actual meal.

They took their food to a seating area, a group of picnic tables set near a quaint pond, ducks waddling and swimming nearby, a few paddle boats gliding across the glassy water, creating the perfect view. Emily looked on with a smile as Paige separated the food into two equal portions, laughing as she dug into her ice cream as soon as everything was laid out as she wanted it.

"Good?" she asked and Paige nodded happily.

"So good. I could eat this sauce on anything. Try it,"

"No, no," Emily shook her head with a grin, "my mom never let me have desert unless I finish my dinner," she commented, taking a bite of her chicken.

"Em, it's ice cream in August. You can't wait all day," she laughed.

"Don't you worry. Just focus on not getting brain freeze this time," she teased.

"Oh I won't. This is too good to race through. This place is so awesome, huh? Everyone's just so happy. This is why I love food, you know? It really brings people together,"

"Yeah I get it. I can't wait to see what you guys cook up tomorrow," she smiled.

"A lot of stuff I cooked for Courtney before. The sliders and the pierogis. The key lime squares for desert. Plus she makes these sweet and sour meatball skewers that are unreal. Pulled pork nachos, and dirty wings," she rattled off.

"Dirty wings?"

"Wings with the works. Hot sauce, barbecue sauce, garlic. They're crazy good, you'll love em," Paige explained.

"I'm sure I will. That's a lot of work, you guys can get all that done at once?"

"We'll be getting up majorly early. And a lot of prep we can get done tonight. Fill those fridges up as much as we can before we head back to the hotel, throw the pork shoulders and chicken wings on the smoker overnight and we'll be way ahead of schedule,"

"I love how much you love this," Emily told her, "I have no idea how much help I will be, but I'm glad I'm here with you,"

"You're gonna be tons of help, babe. If we've learned anything this summer, it's that people buy more food when you're around," Paige laughed and Emily rolled her eyes.

"We'll see. Do you get to keep any of the money, or are you just along for the ride?"

"Once we cover the food cost, we're splitting everything down the middle. Which, I'll split my half with you of course," she offered, and Emily shook her head.

"No. I'm not here as your employee, Paige. I'm here as your girlfriend. Seeing you enjoying yourself is plenty enough for me," she argued.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really. Whatever money you guys make is yours. You're the chefs, the artists. I don't want any money. Just for you to have fun,"

"Okay," Paige smiled, and polished off the last bite of her ice cream, "alright, let me at this chicken,"

* * *

"They look great," Courtney commented from over Paige's shoulder as she watched her forming the crab pierogis to sell the next day. Paige had already made about five hundred of the things, piling them into a bus bin to chill overnight, along with the marinade for their pork and chicken wings, and a few buckets of the black cherry relish for their sliders. It was getting late, the crowd for the festival dying down drastically, and mostly only other vendors still there, doing their prep work as well.

Paige was tired, her feet aching and her eyelids getting heavy, and though she was happy, she couldn't wait to get back to the hotel, get a shower and get a few hours of sleep before their big day.

"Thanks," Paige yawned, "I have like twenty more to go, then I just have to whip up the horseradish aioli for them and I think I may call it a night,"

"Oh for sure, we're in great shape. When we run out, we run out. And girl, we're gonna run out, cause this menu is phenomenal. Where'd Emily get to?"

"She went to find the bathroom and grab us a few drinks. I'm parched," Paige explained, finishing crimping the edges of another pierogi, tossing it into the bin with the rest.

"Gotcha. Did you two have a good time this afternoon? She's not bored out of her mind, is she?" Courtney wondered.

"No, not at all. We had a blast. You gotta find the ice cream lady. She makes all her ice cream from scratch, all the stuff comes from her own farm. The blueberry sauce is insane. And that chicken? So good," Paige told her, "damn now I'm hungry again," she laughed.

"Sounds great. I'm glad you brought Emily along. She's a hell of a girl. Big help, too. Nice to have the extra set of hands,"

"Yeah she's great. I honestly don't know if I'd be taking this whole not having a job thing well without her, you know? But she really believes in me. She's the best thing that ever happened to me," Paige explained with a dreamy sigh.

"It's easy to see," Courtney replied, "you two have a lot of chemistry. And you're gonna have a job in no time Paige, trust me,"

Emily made her way back into the tent, three plastic cups in her hands, and placed them all down on the table next to Paige.

"Only people still selling just had lemonade left. Hope that's okay," she explained, holding one up to Paige so she could take a sip while her hands stayed busy. She took a few gulps, sighing contently after swallowing.

"That's perfect, baby, thank you,"

"You're welcome. Are you almost done? Can I help you?" she offered.

"I'll be done in a jiff. Take a load off and we'll be at the hotel before you know it,"

"Okay," she took her own drink and took a seat across from Paige, on top of one of the coolers they had brought along. It had been a long day, and she was dying for a shower and bed, but there wasn't much better than sipping an ice cold glass of lemonade on a summer night, watching Paige cook her heart out.

* * *

Emily showered first when they got to the hotel, and once her hair was dried and she was finally comfortable in her pajamas, she crawled into the surprisingly comfortable bed and waited for Paige. She scrolled through the channels on the television while she waited for Paige to shower, but after not finding anything entertaining, settled on a baseball game, figuring Paige would at least enjoy it as background noise until they got sleepy.

She was checking her messages, letting her mother know the first day at the festival had gone well, and that they were safe and sound in the hotel, about to go to sleep, when Paige emerged from the bathroom, her damp hair wrapped in a towel, sporting a hockey jersey and shorts as pajamas. Emily smiled ear to ear at the sight.

"What?" Paige asked, looking down at herself curiously at Emily's glance.

"Nothing. You're just the cutest thing that ever lived," she replied, and set her phone down on the nightstand, "will you get in this bed please?"

"Fine," Paige sighed, though she was smiling. She clicked off the light switch on the wall and removing the towel from her hair before climbing into the empty side of the bed, the only light now illuminating from the television.

"Baseball?" Paige questioned.

"You like it," Emily shrugged, "nothing else is on anyway,"

"Hmm..." she snuggled close to Emily, and pressed a kiss to her cheek, followed by one to her shoulder, "you know we don't have to watch TV,"

"Oh no?" Emily replied, her eyes fluttering closed at the sensation, "do you just want to go to sleep?"

"Nope. I want to make out with my girlfriend," she teased, and Emily could feel the grin against her cheek as Paige peppered kisses across her face.

"Mmm..."

She continued teasing for a moment, and Emily, finally having enough of it, took the reins and connected their lips passionately, tangling her fingers into Paige's hair, still damp from her shower. Paige moaned, wrapping an arm around Emily's back as their tongues met.

They lay like that a few moments, kissing, caressing each other's soft, freshly showered skin, before Paige, albeit untimely, pulled back with a yawn she was unable to hold in. Emily, for as startled as she was when Paige pulled away so suddenly, couldn't help but break into a fit of laughter.

"I'm sorry," she chuckled, "am I boring you?"

"No! I swear, gosh Em I'm so sorry! I'm just so tired..." she defended and Emily grabbed her face in her hands, pulling her in for another kiss. She pulled away only enough to rest their foreheads together, her thumb caressing Paige's cheek gently as she looked into her eyes. Even in pajamas, her eyes tired from a long day of work, Emily found Paige breathtaking. There wasn't another place on the planet she would've rather been. She took a deep breath and sighed happily, feeling herself getting lost in Paige's eyes.

"I love you," she whispered, not even really sure how the words ended up coming out of her mouth, but not regretting one bit that they did. She could hear Paige gulp in response, though the smile that appeared right after told her everything she needed to know.

"I love you too, Em," she replied, and pressed their lips together once more.


	22. Chapter 22

Hi everyone. I want to thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoy. Stay warm out there, and thanks for all the support. Means so much, as always.

* * *

Emily was exhausted. Her feet ached, her eyelids felt heavy, and the last place she wanted to be was at work. Especially since her girlfriend was home, still snoring away in bed.

They had gotten back from the food festival late, and though it had been a success financially and a good time in general, as she pulled into the parking lot of Dontana's, Emily couldn't help but wish she had taken just one more extra day off. She knew she had to worry about making as much money as possible to live off of during the school year, but with the beginning of her sophomore year inching closer by the second, she couldn't help the desire to put her financial worries aside and spend every free moment with Paige before they had to be apart.

She had hit the snooze button a few times, forcing her to take a shorter than desired shower, and after a fight with Paige's coffee machine, she'd had to hit a drive through for some much needed caffeine. Paige hadn't even stirred when she'd popped back in to kiss her goodbye.

The music in the car was blaring as she pulled in, though she was barely listening. All she could seem to think about was falling back into bed with Paige the second her shift ended, but that was a long twelve hours away, and she doubted it would happen anyhow.

She felt a pang of disappointment when she noticed Hanna had yet to arrive, but it was short lived when she discovered just exactly who had shown up to work that day. On the loading dock, playing on her cell phone and smoking a cigarette, was Kelsey.

Emily was a little surprised, this being Kelsey's first day back since the breakup, and also a little nervous about whatever confrontation was about to take place. She could tell, by the look on Kelsey's face and the slump in her shoulders, that she probably wasn't faring much better than the last time she saw her. She figured it probably wasn't so much that she was ready to work that brought her back, but the news that Paige was no longer working there. With a sigh, she took a sip of her coffee and after locking her car, made her way to the door.

She stood at the base of the concrete stairs when she got to them, and looked up at Kelsey. With another sigh, noticing she'd have to make the first move, she decided to just get it over with.

"Hi Kelsey..." she spoke softly, not sure what to expect.

"Em," Kelsey replied, not looking up from her phone.

"It's nice to see you. I didn't know you'd be back today," she tried again.

"I came back yesterday," she said and took a drag from her smoke, "I need to make rent,"

"Oh," Emily nodded, "well welcome back," and began to climb the stairs to head inside.

"You know you don't have to go hide from me," Kelsey sighed, "I'm not going to bite you or something,"

Emily froze in place, and looked up to her.

"I know...I mean...I just, figured you didn't want to see me, that's all," she shrugged.

"Christ, just fucking sit with me for a minute Em. Please?" she hissed, patting the cool concrete next to where she sat. Emily gulped audibly and nodded, finishing the climb up the stairs and taking a seat next to Kelsey, letting her legs dangle off the side of the loading dock. She sipped at her coffee nervously, waiting on Kelsey to speak.

"I..." Kelsey started, and with the hand holding her cigarette, scratched at her forehead, searching for the words, "I wanted to let you know...I didn't mean to...I should've...fuck, what am I even trying to say?" she rambled off, and took another drag, blowing smoke back out in a shaky breath.

"I guess what I mean is that I know this mess wasn't your fault. And I'm sorry for all the shit I said. I spent the last few weeks really angry. One day I'd be angry at Paige and the next day I'd be angry at you. And the more I really thought about it I realized, the only one that anger was hurting was me. So I'm still...it still sucks. But I need to start working on putting it behind me. Not for you and not for Paige, but for me,"

"Oh...well I think that's good Kels," Emily replied, "I'm sorry we hurt you. I wish it could've been different, the way everything happened,"

"Yeah, well. Shit is what it is. We can't change the past. God knows I'd do some shit different if we could," she sighed, "Paige and I weren't meant to be. I wanted us to be. But the second you showed up I knew she was done," she admitted.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Emily wondered, "I told you I had feelings for someone and you knew who it was and you pretended not to,"

"I guess I just didn't want it to be true. I had this great thing and I was so scared to lose it. I thought I would die if I lost it. But truth is, I was losing Paige all along. We had some fun at first, but we're from different worlds. She's always been this big...ball of energy. She's so full of love and good things. She has this huge family and this whole city loves her. Her mom comes to town to bring her blueberry pie when she's down and her brothers text her every day. My dad took off when I was four, and my mom overdosed on heroin right in front of me. I don't see the world the way Paige does. And maybe it was good for me to be around her but I don't think it was good for her to be around me. Maybe that's why it made it so easy for her to walk away. I was losing her all along...you were just the sexy, younger nail in that coffin," she ranted, and ashed her cigarette off to the side.

"Kelsey..."

"No, don't," she held up a hand to stop her, "I don't want you to feel bad for me, alright? I hate sympathy, it's gross. In fact the whole reason we're talking this out now is because I don't want you staring at me with those sad doe eyes all shift. I'm fine, alright?"

"Alright," she agreed, and looked down at her feet. Kelsey took one last drag of her cigarette before tossing it away into the parking lot.

"So..." she sighed, "how is she? I heard she went nuclear,"

"Oh...uh," Emily stammered, "kind of. But she's okay. Just taking some time off to regroup before she really starts looking for a new job,"

"She was too good for this place anyway," Kelsey shrugged, "I told her that all the time. This place never made her happy, not for a second,"

"Really? I mean, I know her and Chrissy didn't get along but other than that she seemed to deal with things well," Emily replied.

"She dealt, that's all. But people don't spend a hundred thousand dollars on culinary school to 'deal' their way through life. Chrissy lured Paige here with promises of things she knew she'd never deliver. And Paige has always resented her for it. She did the right thing leaving. I would've left that bitch with her tits in her hands up shit's creek years ago if I didn't need to make rent,"

"You could get a job anywhere, Kels. You're a great waitress. Definitely the best one here," Emily replied and Kelsey barked a laugh.

"Yeah, great. Being the best waitress here is like being the richest homeless person," she snarked, "besides, I've waited tables all over this city. Everywhere else you either got stuck up rich assholes or pervs who are broke. Here the pervs have cash, so if I show a little cleavage, bam, phone bill's paid," she shrugged.

"Well..." Emily chuckled, "I guess so,"

"You know what I mean. I bet your whole damn room and board is paid up from this summer's tips alone,"

"Not quite..." Emily replied, "but I have enough for books I think, so that's good,"

"Exactly. You're a college kid, so you've just gotta follow the yellow brick road out of this shithole. And Paigey never belonged here. Hell even Hanna can walk out of here and never have to look back. Me though? I think I'm a lifer in this dump,"

"Kelsey, that's not true. You're smart, you can do anything you want," Emily argued.

"Alright, alright. What did I say about your pity, Em?"

"No...I...I wasn't...I don't..." she rambled as Kelsey lit another cigarette.

"Good," she choked as she blew out the smoke, "you know, just cause I don't want you to pity me, doesn't mean you can't bring me a coffee once in a while," she commented, and took the coffee cup from Emily's hand and taking a sip before handing it back.

"Noted," Emily smiled, and sighed in relief at the feeling that perhaps the ship hadn't sailed on her and Kelsey's friendship after all.

* * *

"You want a beer Paigey?" Owen asked his sister, not bothering to wait for an answer before tossing her a can, frosted with condensation from the cooler on the deck.

"It's ten in the morning," she laughed after she caught it, and placed it on the table in front of her.

"Yeah? It's summer. I'm stuck at home with a busted leg, and you're unemployed. We may as well drink," he shrugged before hobbling over to the table on his crutches, carefully dropping down into his seat and propping his casted leg up on an empty chair.

Paige, after waking up, had decided to take the trip to Bethlehem to visit her brother in his new house. She had gone on a whim, but was pleasantly surprised to find both Owen and Brittany home for the day, and the three of them decided to spend the day on the deck, enjoying the weather with an impromptu cookout.

"Wow, way to rub it in man. I won't be unemployed forever you know," she replied.

"Exactly. So drink beer during the day while you can," he grinned, cracking his own open and drinking down a few gulps.

"Fine. But you have to tell Emily if I can't drive home later," she rolled her eyes.

"No negativity on the party deck, Paige. Look at this view. Man I love it here,"

"That's good. It is a great house. You guys settled in and everything?" she replied, popping the top to her own beer and taking a swig.

"Pretty much. The first few nights were a little weird. It's quiet you know? I know it sounds crazy but I think us city kids get used to the street noise and the quiet kept me up. But Brit started running the dishwasher before we go to bed so that noise helps me fall asleep for some reason," he shrugged.

"No, I get it. I mean I think the quiet is nice, but it would definitely take some getting used to," she agreed.

"You could sleep through anything Paigey. Remember when Jordy accidentally rammed dad's truck through the garage door? The whole freakin house shook, and you didn't even move. You just snored on through the whole thing," he laughed.

"I had mono!" she argued, "besides, you're one to talk, mister fell asleep in the middle of his SAT's,"

"And still got a 1950," he bragged, "besides the SAT's were the same week we won states. Not my fault mom scheduled my test the day after a 4- day baseball tournament in Hershey. I was fried,"

"Yeah, yeah," she laughed, "you sure it's cool that I dropped in like this? I should've called...I just had nothing to do today and I'm getting a little bored sitting at home,"

"Paige you never have to ask for permission to come visit. Besides, it's nice. Our first cookout in the new house. Only thing on my calendar today is baby-making duty. And that can wait until you head home," he shrugged and Paige rolled her eyes.

"Gross, Owen. A simple 'it's fine sis' would've worked," she groaned.

"Excuse me, but do you want a niece or nephew anytime soon? Besides, you're a girl. What do you care if Brit's ovulating or not?" he replied.

"I don't care, that's exactly my point. And yes, make my niece or nephew but spare me the details on your schedule, would ya?"

"Oh God, what are you telling her?" Brittany groaned as she came out onto the deck, grinning as she carried a plate of cheese, crackers and grapes to the table and set it between them.

"Nothing babe," Owen told her, not hesitating before reaching for the platter and tossing a few grapes into his mouth.

"Sorry about the lame snacks, Paige. We've been a little too lazy to do some real shopping. I swear we've been living on takeout since we moved in," Brittany told her as she sat down, curling her legs underneath her.

"Cheese and grapes works for me," Paige shrugged, "I ate more than my share of junk food over the weekend. My body needs a break," she laughed.

"How did everything go? We thought about driving up to catch the festival but I figured you'd be too busy," Owen said, and Paige nodded through a mouthful.

"Kind of," she muttered, "besides you wouldn't have enjoyed it much. It was hella crowded and hot, and kind of hilly. It would've been hard for you to get around on those crutches," she pointed out.

"Eh," he shrugged, "I could use the challenge. Besides, these things are giving me crazy upper body strength. I swear by the time I get my cast off I'm gonna look like the Ultimate Warrior," he laughed, and flexed dramatically for effect.

"Lucky me," Brittany rolled her eyes, though she was smiling, "so did you make lots of money or what Paigey?"

"Yeah, we sold out of everything. I'm exhausted but it was nice. Fun, crazy, exciting. Plus I got to work with a world class chef. Not bad for a day's work," she smiled.

"Not at all," Brittany agreed, "did Emily enjoy it?"

"She seemed to. I'm sure she's tired today. We didn't get home until like two this morning. You think I'm tough to get out of bed? Em would sleep all day if you let her," Paige laughed.

"Can't blame her. Only a few weeks left of summer break I'd be sleeping as much as possible too," Brittany chuckled, "remind me to send a plate home for her. Burgers okay for everyone?" she asked.

"Works for me," Paige shrugged.

"Yeah, babe. Do we even have burgers?"

"No, I have to run out to the store. But it's fine. We need laundry detergent and coffee anyway," she replied and stood from her place, leaning down to kiss Owen goodbye.

"Blech, nothing like beer kisses at ten in the morning," she laughed, wiping at her mouth.

"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes, "be careful okay?"

"I will,"

"You want me to come with you Brit?" Paige offered, and rattled her beer can, "I mean you gotta drive but I'm happy to tag along,"

"No, don't be silly. Sit here and visit your brother. I'll be gone twenty minutes, tops," she replied, and turned to head back into the house.

"So..." Owen said, taking a swig of his beer, "how did mom and dad take the whole quitting your job thing?" he asked. Paige sat back in her chair, sliding her shoes off and kicking her feet up on an empty one with a heavy sigh.

"A lot freakin' better than I expected, to be honest," she laughed, "I went there expecting 'what about your future?' and 'how much money do you have in the bank?' and instead I got a pat on the back and blueberry pancakes,"

"Yeah, figures," he laughed, "I would have gotten a lecture longer than the Gettysburg address, but Val's baby girl gets blueberry pancakes,"

"Hey! You wanted me to quit that place, remember?" she whined.

"I know Paigey, I'm just messing with ya. But seriously, you know the last time mom made me blueberry pancakes?" Owen replied.

"She made you French toast when you had your accident. Besides mom babies you just as much as she babies me and you know it," she argued.

"Whatever you say, Paigey," he laughed.

"Whatever," she repeated, and with a few gulps finished off her beer, eyeing the distance between her and the recycling can, grinning at her brother, "how much you wanna bet I sink this shot?" she asked, gesturing to the can. Owen followed her eye line and chuckled.

"Fifty bucks. Your long shot is weak,"

"You..." she aimed her shot, as if she was actually standing on the free throw line in the last seconds of a championship basketball game, "are on," and fired, the crumpled tin can spinning through the air and much to her excitement, landing right in the recycling bin.

"Yes!" she leapt from her seat, her hands in the air victoriously, "McCullers hits the buzzer beater! And the crowd goes wild! Woo! Fifty bucks, little man!" she hollered, and placed her hand out.

"Lucky shot," he groaned, though he couldn't hide his grin, "double or nothing," he said and finished his own beer, pushing it over to her before pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and slapping a hundred-dollar bill on the table. Paige grinned, and lined up her shot.

* * *

 _Can we sleep at my place tonight?_

Paige was about to hit the road when the text from Emily came through. The day with her brother and sister in law had been one well spent. Her belly was full and cheeks sore from laughing. She was exhausted, but in the best way possible. She couldn't wait to hit the highway and get back to the city, and cuddle up with her girlfriend.

 _We can sleep anywhere you want :) I'm heading home from Owen's now. Should I just meet you there?_

 _Yeah. Did you eat? I can pick us up a pizza. Chicken and hot peppers?_

 _Actually we cooked some burgers and stuff. I have a plate for you. See you soon. Love you!_

 _Love you too. Drive safe._

The drive home was short and relatively traffic free, but still felt like a lifetime as Paige could only seem to day dream about a cozy night in with her girlfriend. By the time she finally pulled into the Fields' driveway, she couldn't have been happier.

She ran her hands through her hair a few times, sure she looked somewhat messy after spending the day outside, eating tons of food and goofing off with her brother. The lights were still on in the house, and she guessed Pam was still awake, and didn't want to show up looking a mess after being invited over.

It had barely taken a second after ringing the doorbell before the front door swung open and Emily latched onto her, crashing their lips together as she tied her arms around Paige's neck. Paige, once catching her balance, grabbed Emily's hips and moaned into the kiss.

"Hi babe," she mumbled against her lips.

"Hi," Emily panted, "I missed you,"

"Missed you too. I can't believe you're still awake," she replied, and separated their lips, "how was work?"

"Fine," Emily sighed happily, "I have something for you,"

"You do?"

"Yup. Come on, come inside," she smiled, and took Paige by the hand pulling her into the house. They walked into the living room, and Emily grabbed a colorful gift bag from the coffee table, turning back to Paige and smiling at her.

"It's not from me, it's from Courtney. She said she swung by your place and you weren't there so she dropped it by the restaurant. She didn't want anyone to steal it from in front of your door," she explained, and handed the bag to her.

"What?" Paige chuckled, "we were with her all weekend, what could this even be?"

"Just open it," Emily replied. Paige nodded with a smile and dug into the tissue paper. As soon as she got her hand into the bag, she could tell what it was, and her hand began to shake as her fingers brushed across it.

"Oh God," she blew out a shaky breath, and pulled out the contents of the bag. There in her hands was the latest issue of _Philly Gourmet_. There on the cover was Paige herself, sleeves rolled up on her favorite black chef's coat with matching green bandana, arms crossed and smiling for the camera.

"It's the first copy," Emily explained excitedly, "she wanted you to read it before it hits the shelves tomorrow,"

"I...wow, I uh...I wasn't expecting this," Paige rambled, feeling frozen in place. She just stared at the cover, unable to move, unable to open to the first page. All she could do was stare.

"You look crazy sexy in that picture," Emily pointed out, "those freakin forearms,"

"I...I can't believe it's real. I can't believe I'm in a magazine,"

"Open it up, I've been dying to hear this article all day!" Emily pleaded. Paige sighed and looked up to Emily, biting her lip nervously.

"Will you read it?" she asked.

"What?"

"I'm...I'm too nervous. Can you read it to me? I know that sounds so lame...but...I'm too nervous," she admitted, and with shaky hands, held the magazine out to Emily. Emily could only smile, taking the magazine into her hands and placing a kiss on Paige's lips.

"You're freaking adorable you know that?" she whispered, "okay, sit down," she told her, and they sat next to each other on the couch. Paige leaned back against the cushions and closed her eyes, blowing out a nervous breath while Emily found the page she was looking for. When she finally found it, she placed a hand on Paige's knee.

"You ready?" she asked.

"Yeah," she sighed, "wait, no. No, yeah. Yeah, I'm ready,"

"Okay," Emily cleared her throat, and began to read.

" _IT'S A GIRL!  
They were the words Nick and Val McCullers had been waiting almost a decade to hear. Overrun by four boys at home already, the day their first and only daughter was born, was one of celebration.  
Those of us 'born and bred' Philadelphians know the McCullers name well. Whether it was a quick cup of joe and a fresh jelly donut back in the Pat's Luncheonette days, or a steaming plate of chili cheese fries and a frosty brew right from the tap, through the years, the McCullers family has provided the city of Philadelphia with some top notch comfort food.  
It was no surprise to anyone when Paige McCullers, 25, followed her parents' footsteps and set out on her own culinary journey. Now, with signature dishes like a Kobe beef slider with Swiss cheese, bacon and a black cherry jalapeno relish, and a lip smacking pierogi stuffed to the brim with jumbo lump crab and cheese-laden Yukon gold potatoes, sprinkled with sautéed shallots and crisp bacon, drizzled in a heavenly horseradish aioli, Paige stands at the forefront of a new era in Philly cuisine- high class comfort classics.  
Anyone can read a recipe out of a cookbook and achieve some level of success with it. Perhaps, though, the finest ingredient in chef McCullers' repertoire is her passion for the craft.  
In a family with five children, meal times can be just another hurdle of the day. But for chef McCullers, it was big, loud, crowded family dinners that helped to fuel her love for the culinary arts.  
"I always loved the chaos in the kitchen," McCullers explained, "the way everyone is chattering away, doing their thing, and then my dad pulled that turkey out of the oven and suddenly that turkey is everything,"  
Paige lent a hand at McCullers Pub once she was old enough, helping Nick in the kitchen, learning the ins and outs of the business as best she could, biding her time before heading off to the Culinary Institute.  
McCullers Pub closed their doors in 2013, Nick and Val deciding to sell and take an early retirement by the shore. While most who visit Philly seek out a Geno's steak, or even a slow roasted pork sandwich from Denic's, we locals all lost a piece of our youth the day the pub became just another pizza shop, and while Dominic's offers a killer slice of Hawaiian, a true Philadelphian will tell you, you can't put a price on a McCullers Pub meal, piled high with top shelf ingredients and made with love.  
Lucky for us, Paige plans to carry on the family legacy, right here in Philadelphia, and spends her days hand crafting a menu of hearty hand-helds and comfort cuisine, family style.  
"The great thing about this business is that we can totally take someone to a new place with a good plate, and at the same time remind them of somewhere great they've already been," Paige told me, "when people talk about my parents' place, it represents more than just the food they ate. It takes them back to a place in time. That's my goal in this business. To have the kind of place where everyone feels at home,".  
So the next time you're craving a world class burger on your lunch break, or looking to grab a bite and a brew after a Flyers game, breakout your smart phone and look up Paige McCullers. As far as authentic, stick to your ribs Philly comfort food goes, nobody on the scene today is doing it better.'  
-C. Calloway_

When Emily finally looked up, her cheeks ached she was smiling so hard. She couldn't be prouder. Paige was still leaning back against the cushions, knuckles white with the intensity she was gripping one of Pam's throw pillows with. Her eyes were still closed, though she herself had broken into a grin as well.

"Baby..." Emily cooed, "that was incredible. She wrote such a nice piece on you,"

"Yeah," Paige whispered, "wow,"

"Did you like it?"

"I loved it...I can't believe how good it came out," she opened her eyes and finally looked to Emily, "all the work, everything that's gone down the last few weeks...it all feels so, so worth it now," she smiled.

"Yeah, well, she loves you. I'm so proud of you. My girlfriend is such a rock star," Emily crooned, leaning over and pressing a kiss to her cheek, "she said to call her tomorrow, before I forget,"

"I will. You hungry? I have a plate for you, I forgot it in the car," Paige yawned.

"A little. But I kind of just want to go to bed. Can I eat it tomorrow?"

"Of course, babe," Paige whispered, and pulled her in for a kiss, "I'm ready for bed too. I'll go grab your food and put it in the fridge, meet you in bed?"

"Sounds amazing,"

"Where's your mom?" she asked through another yawn.

"Taking a bath I think. She knows you're here,"

"Okay. See you upstairs babe. And...hey...thank you. For reading that for me. There's nobody else on the planet I would want to be the first person to read that article," Paige told her, and Emily leaned in for another kiss.

"I love you," she whispered against her lips, "and I'm glad I was the first person to read it too,"


	23. Chapter 23

"There is no way in hell we can finish this!" Paige exclaimed, her eyes widening at the huge plate of barbecue being placed on the table in between herself and Courtney Calloway.

Emily was stuck at work on Saturday afternoon, and with only two weeks left before the start of the new school year, Paige had no interest in hanging around her apartment alone, taking a lunch invitation from Courtney as a welcome distraction from her looming time apart from her girlfriend.

Courtney had picked her up, with a plan already in the back of her mind beyond lunch. She had suggested they hit the Reading Terminal Market, a cultural crossroads of tantalizing cuisine and plethora of fresh produce and specialty items for purchase, the plan being to grab a tasty lunch, and shop for groceries to make a nice dinner to share with her fiance and Emily. It would be like a double date, she'd pitched it to Paige, and she'd happily agreed. Emily loved coming to Paige's apartment for a home cooked meal after a long day.

They walked through the market, Paige enjoying the surroundings, the smells of all the fresh fruits and vegetables, the sounds of the hustle and bustle, people shopping for their groceries, and the lines for the sandwich stands always enamored her. It was one of her favorite places in the city, the memories of munching on plump, juicy, fresh grapes while her father shopped for ingredients for the pub, or of him splurging on lunch, from one of the many vendors grilling up things that always had her stomach growling, her feet dangling from the stool she was way too tiny for as she'd munch away at her cheesesteak or pulled pork tacos, were some of the best memories of her childhood.

Once they had gathered their ingredients, the trunk of Courtney's SUV packed with all the fixings for an extravagant dinner, they had settled into the few empty chairs left at Cal's BBQ, Courtney's favorite lunch spot in the market. Now, with a combo platter of barbecued chicken, ribs, smoked brisket and pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw and cornbread in front of them, Paige couldn't help but laugh at the amount of food in front of them.

"You're probably right," Courtney laughed, "you better eat up, though. You'll need your energy, we got a long day ahead before Emily and Seth get out of work,"

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure I could make turkey pot pies in my sleep. It was a favorite in my house growing up. Hopefully Emily likes it," Paige replied before tearing into a piece of cornbread she had slathered in house made honey butter, moaning as the taste hit her tongue.

"I'm sure she'll love it," Courtney smiled, "After cooking all day long, Seth is just happy to come home to anything already made. Just to get off his feet and enjoy a meal, no matter what it is,"

"That is a feeling I can relate to," Paige laughed, "but Emily's not much of a cook, so I don't think there will ever be dinner waiting for me when I get home unless it's a pizza or blue box mac& cheese,"

"Hey, that's nice sometimes too. But you like cooking for her, I can tell," she pointed out, and Paige couldn't help but smile.

"I do," she agreed, "Emily's always believed in me, in my food, since the second we met. Even when I was in a really tough place, confidence wise...she found the good in me that no one else could. I know we've only known each other for a few months, but...I honestly don't think I'd be sitting here with you, in your magazine, if it wasn't for her. She makes me feel like I have something to offer the world," she explained.

"Doesn't matter how long you've known her, Paige. If you know, you know. I knew Seth was the love of my life after our first date. Is it perfect? No, of course not. It never is. But if something as simple as making her dinner has you sitting here grinning like a fool, I think you've found something worth holding onto," Courtney told her.

"Yeah," Paige smiled, "so how did you meet Seth anyhow? What was it about him that had you from day one?"

"Well I wish I could say it was something incredibly romantic and unusual, but, we met in a bar," she laughed, "I was in a tough place, and I'd had a really awful day. So I went to Oscar's after work, over on Sansom St? And he was there, still in his chef's coat, just sitting at the bar drinking scotch and sodas, watching the Phillies get crushed. And I just knew...I had to get to know him. So I sat next to him and we sat there until last call, eating burgers and drinking and just talking. He was smart and funny and everything I had been missing all my life, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," Paige smiled, "Emily was that too. Right away I felt like I could tell her anything. And she was the only person who really listened. Who appreciated me for what I was and didn't expect me to be something else,"

"Exactly. I was so worried about my career for so long, I told myself I didn't need anyone. And until I met Seth I believed it. But now that I have him, I have no idea how I could've ever thought that. I just needed to find someone who understood the business and understood me. And just like that, my future was completely changed. I didn't have to choose between a great career or the love of my life. Now I have both. It's kind of like my life is just starting,"

"I love that. Cheers, to having both," Paige grinned, and held her frosted bottle of root beer up, and Courtney gladly grabbed hers and clinked them together, both of them drinking before returning focus to their food.

"You had the career and then found the guy," Paige said, "I got the girl and no job. Hopefully one day soon I'll have both too,"

"You're definitely gonna have both, Paige. Don't worry another second about that. The magazine is selling like crazy. And your crab pierogis were the talk of the food festival. Before you know it, you're gonna be putting Dontana's to shame. Chrissy's gonna come to you, on her knees begging for mercy," Courtney told her with a wink and Paige laughed.

"Let's hope so. I need a job. Emily's gonna be back at school in a few weeks and I'm really gonna need something to take my mind off of her being 15 hours away,"

"You guys will be fine. Anyone who spends five minutes with you two can tell how in love you are. Long distance isn't easy, but it's doable. Besides, I have a pretty big expense account through the magazine. You ever want to take a trip down there, let me know. We'll use my bonus miles and I'll just check out some some real southern barbecue and lay on the beach for a few days, and we'll call it a business trip," she offered with a chuckle.

"Wow, that's really cool of you. Thanks," Paige smiled.

"You're welcome. Now eat, would ya? Don't make me eat a rack of ribs on my own. I mean, I'll do it, but you'll have to drive cause I'll need a major nap afterward,"

"Alright, alright," Paige laughed at her new friend, "give me half. We got this,"

* * *

Paige was so full she was fighting the urge to undo the button on her jeans as she sat in the passenger seat of Courtney's SUV, the top open as they cruised down the highway after lunch. She doubted she'd even be hungry in time for their double date dinner. But she figured as long as she had Courtney around to keep her busy, and awake, it'd be a success.

They had taken the long way, and swung by Courtney's office to let her assistant know she'd be out the rest of the day and to hold her calls, and were making their way back to Paige's apartment to start on dinner, sip on wine and chat the day away.

They weren't too far from the office when Paige had noticed Courtney taking an odd route. Her apartment was a good twenty blocks from the _Philly Gourmet_ offices, but it was pretty much a straight shot, save for a detour past some road construction. So Paige was confused to say the least when Courtney merged onto the highway instead of continuing toward Paige's block on 36th street.

"Uh, Court," she spoke up, "my apartment was back that way. 214 east 36th,"

"I know where you live, Paige," she chuckled, "I want to show you something. Just hang tight. It's close by but with that roadwork on Fox I figured it's just easier to jump on the expressway,"

"Oh," she nodded, "alright. What is it?"

"You'll see," she replied, and reached to turn the volume up on the radio, stopping when she heard a John Mellencamp tune and smiling.

"Mmm. Wild Night, classic," she said, "you a Cougar fan?"

"Sure," Paige replied with a grin, drumming along to the beat on the tops of her thighs with her hands, "my dad met him once in line at Starbucks. And we used to play his records while he shucked corn cobs in the summer time at the restaurant. This has been his go to karaoke song ever since,"

"Nice," she nodded back, and turned the volume up some more, "Oh, this is my favorite part. _When you're walking out on the street…"_ she began singing, gesturing for Paige to join her. Paige chuckled, before pulling her trusty invisible microphone up to her lips and joining along.

" _And the wind catches your feet, sends you flyin, cryin…"_ Paige sang back, and at the top of their lungs they continued, " _Ooohh, Oohhh-weee, the wild night is callin_!"

The song came to an end and the pair dissolved into a fit of giggles as they drove along, Courtney gasping for air as she reached up to turn the volume down.

"Your pops taught you well," she chuckled, "I don't meet a lot of twenty five year olds who can rock out to Cougar,"

"Oh, yeah we grew up on that stuff. My dad was always playing the good stuff at the restaurant. Home too. I'm pretty sure one of my brothers was conceived at a Frampton concert, as gross as that is for me to know," she laughed.

"I think it's cool," Courtney replied, "considering how uptight my parents are, anyhow,"

"My parents are anything but that," Paige shook her head.

Shortly after, Courtney took the exit off the highway, and after driving a few more miles, they pulled into an empty gravel parking lot in a part of Philly Paige could only recall being a few times in her life. There wasn't much around, a bookstore and a gas station across the street, and what looked like an an old diner occupying the far end of the parking lot Courtney had just parked the car in.

"Where are we?" Paige wondered.

"Come check it out," was all she said as she stepped out of the car, and headed toward the front door, waiting for Paige to follow. Paige stepped down from her seat and closed the door behind her, her sneakers crunching on the gravel as she went. It was a sound she had always loved, and not even her curiosity of what Courtney could want to show her in an empty diner could make her resist taking her time strolling across the lot, enjoying the _crunch crunch crunch_ as she went.

When she finally reached the front door where Courtney was waiting, she peeked through the windows, surprised when Courtney pulled a single key from her purse, attached to a red rubber key tag, and began jiggling it in the lock.

"You have a key for this place?" Paige questioned.

"I do," Courtney replied simply, and threw the door open, gesturing for Paige to step inside. They walked into the dining room, which like most diners Paige was used to, held booths on either side of the door, and a wraparound bar with swiveling stools straight ahead. For looking like it had been empty a while, it seemed to be in good shape. The tables looked new and the barstools only held a thin coat of dust, across one of which Paige ran her finger as she walked past, before wiping the dust on her jeans.

"Sophie's. Do you remember it?" Courtney asked her as she examined a pile of boxes that sat in the middle of the floor.

"Sophie's…" Paige racked her brain, "I don't think so,"

"Best fried chicken in West Philly, as long as I was growing up. Burgers the size of your head for five bucks. Root beer floats, gravy fries, meatloaf sandwiches, hundred layer lasagna. When I was a kid, this was where Philly comfort food happened. Becky's diner was good, but this, if we could get somebody to drive us out here after school, was the spot," she explained, and Paige nodded, taking a seat on one of the stools and spinning around on it, like a child.

"That's cool," she replied, spinning around rapidly, using her feet to pick up speed, "so what happened to it?"

"Not sure exactly. I guess it's been closed up for a few years and when I heard it was up for sale I jumped on it right away. It's still in pretty good shape right?"

"Yeah, it looks pretty good for being empty for a few years. Maybe some new carpet and a new paint job. How's the kitchen?" Paige replied.

"I don't know, let's go check it out," she said, and they headed back toward the swinging French doors to the kitchen.

The linoleum floors looked brand new, the stainless steel countertops spotless. Pots and pans were neatly stacked on wire shelves on either side of the stoves, hundreds of clean plates and soup bowls piled into a plate warmer in front of the pass. The fryer baskets looked a little old, Paige noticed, and the dish machine had seen better days, but other than that, it all seemed passable.

"Looks great. I'd probably have somebody come in and check out the dishwasher. I'm sure it can't hold temp anymore. Other than that though it all seems new. They must've done a bunch of upgrades right before they closed up. That's a shame," she rambled, and started examining the ovens, opening the doors one at a time and peeking inside.

"Yeah. Check out the size of this lowboy, though," she pointed out, opening the stainless steel lid to show Paige the inside of the cooler, "you could make a BLT, a steak sandwich and a caesar salad without having to run to the walkin," she smiled.

"Yeah, that's nice. So what is this gonna be, your next big project? A deli or diner or something? Or did you buy it for Seth?" Paige wondered.

"Nope," Courtney shook her head, "I bought it for you," she announced, and Paige froze, her hands still on the handles of the stainless steel refrigerator she had been about to open.

"What?" she choked, and with a smile, Courtney took the key she had used to open the front door back out of her pocket and took a couple steps toward Paige. She pried one of Paige's hands from the door handle, and held it out flat, placing the key in her palm and curling her fingers around it.

"This place is yours, Paige. I bought it for you. I wanted to tell you as soon as you left Dontana's, but it wasn't final yet. And I would've had to squash the article if I was bank rolling you, it's publication policy. I didn't want to rob you of that, you worked so hard and you deserved it. I had to wait until it hit shelves to even offer this to you," she explained, "but I've wanted to work with you since the first time I had your food. I hope you understand why I couldn't tell you until now,"

"You bought me a restaurant…" Paige struggled to keep up, her voice scratchy, tears welling behind her eyes, "you bought...a restaurant...for me,"

"I did," Courtney nodded, "Paige you deserve it. The menu, the name, the decor, everything. Everything is up to you. Hire whoever you want to. I'll be around if you want me to be, but it's your show, Paige. I trust you, fully and completely. Come to me whenever you need to. I have your back. But it's your show. I'm the bank, you're the brains,"

"I...you...all this…" Paige trembled, and looked down at the key in her hands, "you invested all this money…"

"Paige, I have my hands pretty full if you couldn't guess," she laughed, "restaurants all over the city, the magazine, now I'm planning a wedding and trying to start a family. I need to surround myself with people who I can trust. And since the night I met you, after that incredible meal, you have proven to me that you are that. I know I can trust you and invest in our future together, and you'll make me proud. I'm not your boss, I'm your partner. As silent or unsilent as you want me to be,"

Paige blew out a shaky breath, and wiped a few stray tears away with the back of her hand. She struggled to find words, completely overwhelmed and emotional beyond measure, instead stepping forward and trapping Courtney in a hug as she immediately began sobbing into her shirt sleeve.

"Thank you," she muttered, and after a few seconds pulled away, "I won't let you down, I promise. Thank you," she sniffed.

"I know you won't kid," Courtney smiled, and reached for the fridge, yanking it open and pulling out a bottle of champagne and two flutes she had stored there ahead of time, "now dry up those tears. We're celebrating," and she set to work at opening the champagne.

"How long has that been in there?" Paige chuckled.

"I dropped everything off last night. The champagne in the fridge, and some cleaning supplies in the chemical closet over there. We gotta get this place spruced up so you can make Emily a meal she won't forget. I want the first plate served in this place to be the stuff of dreams,"

"And Seth," Paige corrected, "so we're eating here?"

"You and Emily are. Seth is visiting his parents in New Hampshire for the weekend. I'm gonna help you clean today and then I'm out of here. You and Emily have the place to yourselves tonight," she winked.

"I...you...what about…"

"I lied about the double date," Courtney laughed, "another night. We'll deal with everything tomorrow, let's just clean this place up and get cooking," she continued, and once the cork was ready to pop, handed the bottle over to Paige.

"You do the honors chef," she smiled, and without hesitation Paige aimed it away from them and wiggled the cork out of the top, and with a loud _pop_ it went soaring across the kitchen. _Her kitchen._

"Congratulations, Paige," Courtney spoke, and when both their glasses were full held hers up to toast, "here's to having both," she said, and Paige smiled.

"To having both," Paige replied, and they drank.

* * *

 _Change of plans. Meet me at 411 Cherry Street for dinner. Dress up. Love you._

Emily was a little confused by the text Paige had sent her halfway through dinner shift, but had swung home to get changed anyway. She wasn't even really sure where Cherry Street was, but knowing Paige, she had selected some fabulous, off the beaten path place for dinner, so she decided just to go with it, and plugged the address into her GPS.

She was a little nervous when the directions had led her to an almost empty parking lot and dimly lit building, and she was about to call Paige to see if she was lost, but she recognized Paige's Jeep near the front entrance and pulled alongside it.

"What in the world…" she muttered to herself, killing the engine and stepping out into the parking lot, struggling a bit to keep balance on the gravel in the heels she had picked out. She smoothed the wrinkles in the dark blue dress she had chosen, and when she got to the front door, peered into the windows. It seemed empty, but there were candles lined up on the bar, and one lonely table sat in the center of the dining room, with two place settings and a vase of flowers in the center. Paige was nowhere to be found, but Emily couldn't help but smile. It seemed her girlfriend had pulled out all the stops tonight.

She opened the door and stepped inside, immediately walking toward the table that had been set and setting down her phone and keys, hanging her purse on the back of the chair.

"Paige?" she called out, "Paige are you here?"

She didn't have to wait for an answer long, before the kitchen doors swung open, and Paige emerged, clad in her chef's coat, sleeves rolled up, and black pants, carrying a serving tray with two salads and a bottle of wine on it. Emily was puzzled, but she couldn't help but smile at the site. She had been supportive of Paige's time off and soul searching, but damn it, she had missed that chef's coat.

"You'll have to excuse me, I'm playing the roles of chef, waitress, bartender AND your date tonight, so I'm a little behind," Paige laughed, and set the tray down on the bar, before pulling her girlfriend in for a kiss.

"Mmm…" Emily moaned, and played with the lapels of Paige's chef coat as they pulled apart, "not that this isn't one of the sexiest things I've ever seen, but what in the world are you doing?"

"Making you dinner," Paige played it off like it was nothing, "I thought we'd start off with a nice caesar salad. The turkey pot pie will be out shortly," she rambled, and picked up the bottle of wine, "my finest Pinot Grigio, for the table,"

"Paige," Emily laughed, "seriously, what is this?"

Paige wiggled the cork out of the wine, and blew out a shaky breath as she smiled at her girlfriend.

"It's mine," she shrugged, gesturing to the room around them with a grin from ear to ear, "Courtney drove me out here this afternoon, asked me what I thought and handed me the keys. She bought me a freakin' restaurant, Em,"

"Oh my gosh…" Emily gasped…"this is your restaurant? Seriously?"

"Seriously. She's been planning this all along but she couldn't do it until the article came out. She wanted to work with me all along, Em. From that night, the night of the review, she wanted this. I have a freakin restaurant,"

"You have a restaurant," Emily smiled back, and took the glass of wine that Paige held out to her, "Paige this is incredible. I'm so proud of you,"

"It wouldn't be real without you," Paige replied, and pulled Emily's chair out for her to sit, following suit on the other side of the table, "ever since the minute we met you believed in me. You helped me nail my review, gave me the courage to walk away from Chrissy...you're my everything. I love you...so much,"

"I love you too," Emily replied, "so much,"

"Are you hungry? I am starving. We've been cleaning and stuff all afternoon. Really worked up an appetite," Paige said, digging into her salad, "I ran home to shower and change and by the time I got back my stomach was growling,"

"I am hungry. We were crazy busy and I split a blueberry poptart with Hanna for lunch. Where is Courtney anyway?"

"She went home. Said she wanted us to have a romantic night alone. So the first night in this new place would be a memorable one," Paige explained.

"Oh...well it definitely will be. It's beautiful, and this was such a nice surprise,"

"I'm glad you think so. Gosh, I can't wait to tell my mom and dad, and all my brothers. And have everybody here to eat. Man that's gonna be the best. But tonight's about me and you. You're leaving for school soon but Em...I need you to know that it isn't the end for us. This summer has been the best of my life. I'll never forget it. But you're as much a part of my future as this place. We're going to make it work, I promise,"

"I know we will," Emily smiled, "I'm going to miss you so much. But honestly now that I know you have this place to keep you busy I feel a little better. Your dream came true. And I can't wait to see what you turn it into the next time I come home to visit,"

"Me too. By then I'll have a menu nailed down and everything. I gotta think of a name. You know as long as this has been my dream I've never considered what I would name my first restaurant," Paige laughed.

"You'll get it," Emily had no doubts, "whatever you decide it's going to be fabulous. This salad is delicious,"

"Thanks, baby," Paige smiled, "I'm gonna go pull out the pot pies. You sit and relax," she stood and placed a kiss on Emily's lips before scampering off to the kitchen. Emily sighed happily in her wake. She was happier for Paige than she could put into words, and the last minute date Paige had managed to throw together was one of the most romantic things she had ever seen. She couldn't help the pride she felt for her girlfriend in that moment, or the arousal that had settled low in her belly.

* * *

After dinner, they had retreated out onto the loading dock in the back parking lot of the restaurant, bringing the wine, a table cloth and a few candles with them. Paige had scattered the candles about while Emily worked on laying the table cloth flat, before they both removed their shoes, and Paige unbuttoned her chef's coat and tossed it to the side. They lay on the blanket, and snuggled up together staring out into the night, the only lights that of the candles and the crescent moon above them.

"This is amazing," Emily sighed as Paige played with the shoulder strap of her dress, sliding her fingers underneath it as she placed featherlight kisses onto her neck and cheek.

"I know," Paige whispered, "you look beautiful tonight, by the way. I'm sorry if I didn't mention it before,"

"Thank you," Emily smiled, and flipped in Paige's arms, "you look sexy as hell. You got your confidence back. And you know I can barely deal with you in that chef's coat," she purred.

"I took it off," Paige chuckled, gesturing to the tank top she was left in,"

"I know," Emily replied, and began playing with the shoulder strap, letting her fingers dance along the skin underneath, "you can take this off too, if you want," she continued, biting her lip, and looking to meet Paige's glance. Paige gulped, and suddenly the air between them had changed. It was heavier, and both of them knew without saying it what they wanted to happen next. She leaned forward, capturing Emily's lips with her own.

"Are you sure?" Paige whispered against her lips after a few seconds, her fingers already snaking around Emily's back and toying with the zipper on her dress, "are you sure you're ready?"

"I'm ready," Emily smiled, "I love you and I'm ready,"

"I love you too," Paige replied, and kissed her again in earnest.

* * *

Hey guys. Just wanted to say thanks as always for reading and reviewing. Hope you enjoyed. The song Courtney and Paige sing in the car is called "Wild Night" and is brought to you by Mr. John "Cougar" Mellencamp himself, and also the fact that I heard it at the gym and it's been stuck in my head ever since.  
Don't hate me for the cliffhanger. I need some sleep and don't want to rush something so important. Take care everyone. Until next time 3


	24. Chapter 24

First, I want to apologize for the length of time between updates. I recently moved, and also have had the same old heath issues giving me a hard time the last few weeks. I hope it's worth the wait. Thank you for your continued support and for reading this story. It was just something I scribbled down to get me through a lonely time, and I'm so grateful it's grown into something people look forward to reading. And to my person, thank you for always believing in me and saving me from myself. You know who you are and you are my biggest blessing in life.

So, uh, this chapter is definitely rated M. Please don't read if you aren't comfortable with that. Otherwise, enjoy.

* * *

Emily remembered the feeling she had when her acceptance letter from UNC had finally arrived. Remembered the smile that had spread across her lips the second her eyes had caught the word "congratulations" printed across the page, recalled the excitement of the things to come fresh on her mind as she packed her bags for school, the joy of even the simplest of decisions; a purple or blue comforter for her new bed, should she wear a jeans or skirt to her first day of class, would Women's' Studies or Intro to Poetry be a better first semester elective for a business major; all seeming exceedingly more important than they were in the days before the letter actually showed up. She remembered walking across the stage at graduation, feeling as though the world was an open road map at her feet. She had a place at one of the top universities in the country, a spot on their basketball and swimming teams respectively, and if what she had heard all through her adolescence was true, the best four years of her life ahead of her in that moment. She remembered telling herself to soak it all in, to remember every moment, every tearful hug, her parents dressed to the nines, her mother dabbing at her eyes every few seconds as she looked on proudly, and afterward, snapping dozens of pictures of Emily and her friends in their caps and gowns, diplomas in hand, high school officially in their past. She wanted to remember every moment, because really, as far as she knew, as far as she and all her classmates had been taught for the last four years, the night of high school graduation, heading into college, was supposed to be one of the greatest of her life. And in that moment, smiling for endless photos, signing the yearbooks of her peers and sites set on North Carolina, she would've told anyone who asked that it was.

That night, however, was before she met Paige, and paled in comparison to the moment she was in currently, under the stars with the love of her life, celebrating the first of hopefully many more dreams come true for Paige.

She had known it the first time she laid eyes on her, felt the heat low down in her belly at the sight of the girl, felt the way her heart hammered in her chest when Paige would smile at her, felt the blush creep to her cheeks at the mere mention of her name. It was nothing she had experienced with any girl before, and that was just how she knew it was real.

She was nervous in this moment, as she felt Paige scatter kisses across her chest and collarbones, her deft fingers working on the zipper on Emily's dress, but also knew she had never wanted anything more in her life. Her own hands were clasped tightly to Paige's forearms, the muscles contracting under her fingers as Paige continued to wiggle the zipper loose, giggling a bit at her lack of success against Emily's cheek bone, pressing a kiss there before adjusting the angle a bit, straddling Emily's hips so she could get a better look at what she was doing.

"Sorry," Paige shook her head, getting back to the task at hand, "I'm usually a little smoother than this," she admitted. Emily just smiled, enjoying the feeling of Paige's weight resting on her, feeling her heat against her belly, the muscles in her arms looking delicious as they contracted with Paige's efforts in the moonlight. Emily couldn't help but lick her lips, running her hands up Paige's arms and giving her biceps a squeeze.

"You have the sexiest arms I've ever seen," Emily purred, continuing to run her hands up and down them, "it makes up for the fact that you're a little clumsy," she added with a grin.

"Hey!" Paige cried back, though she smiled down at her, "give me a break huh? I've never had everything I ever wanted before,"

"I'm nervous too," she admitted softly, and covered Paige's hand with her own, grasping the clasp between both of their fingers and sliding it down, all the while holding eye contact with the girl above her, "but I'm ready,"

"Me too," Paige gulped, and set upon pulling the tank top over her head while Emily wiggled out of her dress. Once they had shed their clothing, now scattered across the loading dock of the restaurant, they settled back down, Paige straddling Emily's hips once more as Emily ran her fingers along Paige's newly exposed abdomen.

"Mmm," she hummed, enjoying the feel of the muscles under her fingers, palpating at them while Paige's own hands began to wonder across Emily's body.

"You're so beautiful," Paige whispered, and leaned down to press a kiss to Emily's lips. It was soft at first, almost careful, as if Paige were trying to convey every ounce of love to Emily through that one kiss alone. Emily, though, far past the point of worked up, took the lead, grabbing Paige by the arms once more and using the leverage to flip them so that she was on top, expertly doing so without breaking the lip contact, in fact only deepening it. Paige reciprocated with a moan as Emily's tongue set about exploring her mouth, her hands tracing slow, tantalizing patterns across Paige's skin as they gravitated toward her breasts.

Emily's kisses trailed off across her face, leaving her skin on fire in their wake as she kissed her way to Paige's ear, running her tongue along the shell, earning another moan and arch of Paige's back before she pressed a kiss there and continued her way down Paige's neck. She could feel the heat between her own legs intensify, the desire for release increasing by the second as she explored Paige's body with her lips.

She felt the warmth of Paige's breast in her left hand and squeezed gently, smiling into the spot on Paige's neck she had been lavishing with her teeth and tongue when she heard her gasp in appreciation, and satisfied that she had left something in her wake for Paige to remember their night by, began kissing a new path, this time across Paige's chest before settling above her breasts and taking a nipple into her mouth, rolling her tongue over it, and sucking gently. Paige gasped again, and wrapped her arms around Emily's waist, holding her in place against her as her back arched again.

"Oh God," she whispered, the feeling of Emily's mouth, hot and wet and so very skilled, around her nipple already seeming like enough to send her over the edge. She could feel Emily smile against her skin as she continued what she was doing, Paige's worked up state only pushing her on more as she brought her hand up to cup Paige's other breast, giving it a gentle squeeze like she had the other, pausing to drop a passionate kiss onto Paige's panting lips before taking it into her mouth like she had the first.

Paige's entire body was on fire under Emily's ministrations, she could feel wetness begin to coat her legs where she lay as Emily continued, and when she finally released her nipple from her mouth and began kissing a path down her stomach, she was sure her brain was about to short circuit completely.

"I...wait...you...I" Paige panted, her hands tying themselves into Emily's hair of their own accord as she dipped her tongue into Paige's belly button.

"No waiting," she smiled against her, and continued her trail downward.

"Oh God," Paige cried out again. It hit her like a lightning strike, the intense pleasure tearing from the top of her head down to the tips of her toes, which curled at the sensation of Emily's eager mouth finally connecting with her core. She moaned at the taste and wetness she found there, which sent further shock waves into Paige's already trembling body. She grasped at Emily's hair tighter, and held on for dear life.

"I love you...I love you...I love you," Paige panted as Emily continued her work, her tongue delving deep into Paige's folds and circling around her clit eagerly, "I love you…"

"Shh," Emily stopped and looked up at her, the moonlight capturing Paige's wetness coating her chin, "I know, I love you too," she replied, and dove right back in, this time pulling Paige's clit between her lips and sucking it between her teeth gently.

Paige's back arched again at this, a strangled moan escaping her lips. She could feel a thin layer of sweat begin to coat her body, her toes ached from being curled so tightly against the bottoms of her feet, her knuckles white with the intensity in which her fingers had been entangled into Emily's dark, silky locks. She knew she was close.

It didn't take much after that, Emily lost in her own pleasure at hearing her girlfriend begin to come undone under her, and her strokes got firmer, broader, against Paige's center as she anticipated her release. With a few final flicks of her tongue she felt Paige's back arch again, a cry escaping her lips as she reached her climax, and Emily instinctively eased her through it, grasping her hand from her hair and entwining their fingers, continuing with slower, gentle licks as Paige settled back down to Earth.

Emily kissed her way back up Paige's body, another path up her stomach and across her chest, before collapsing her full weight on top of Paige, her chin resting on Paige's heaving chest, heart hammering hard and gasping for breath.

"I've wanted to do that since the second I saw you," Emily whispered, and tucked a stray hair behind Paige's ear, wiggling her earlobe between her fingers before gliding her hand down to rest against Paige's cheek. She was in awe of the girl beneath her, and there wasn't a thing on Earth that could make this moment better.

"That?" Paige laughed breathlessly, "since that first second, you wanted to do that?"

"Yes, just that, since day one," she defended, "are you okay?"

"Okay? I'm more than okay," she chuckled licking her lips, "thirsty as hell, and may need to see my chiropractor tomorrow, but yes, definitely more than okay,"

Emily pressed a kiss to her chest, and followed it with one to her lips.

"I'll go get you something to drink. There's more champagne inside right?" Emily offered, moving to stand before Paige took hold of her arms, keeping her in place atop of her.

"I don't think so," she smiled deviously, this time being the one to flip them and took her place straddling Emily's hips again, running her hands along her upper body in awe.

"You are so beautiful," she told her again, and Emily smiled.

"You say that to all the girls you bring to your restaurant to have sex with," she teased.

"How many girls do you think there have been since I got my very first restaurant this afternoon?" Paige laughed.

"With those abs…" Emily cooed, taking the chance to run her hands along them once more, "I'm not sure I'll ever be safe,"

"You're safe, Em," Paige told her, kissing away Emily's playful grin, "I promise, you are the one for me. The only one," she whispered, and with that, it was Emily's turn to feel shock waves shooting to her toes.

* * *

They had barely gotten any sleep, the concrete of the loading dock not proving to be the most comfortable of places to call it a night after their romantic evening, but after a few bottles of champagne and earth shattering sex, not to mention a full day of work for each of them, they both felt they shouldn't drive, and decided to spend the night at Paige's new restaurant.

They were currently squeezed into the tiny bathroom in Paige's apartment. After having awoken sore and hungry, they had driven back into the city for breakfast and a shower. Paige's mother had called in between, asking if Paige to come by for lunch, and they were now getting ready to hit the road again back to Paige's parents' house in New Jersey.

Paige had thrown on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt instantly after their shower, and was now brushing her teeth, but Emily, ever distracted, stood behind Paige at the sink, still wrapped in her towel, her arms around Paige's waist, kissing her neck from behind. The smell of Paige's shampoo had enveloped her senses, her soft, clean skin delicious and tantalizing under her lips, and though they had just gotten a little playful in the shower, she wasn't far from tearing the fresh clothes from Paige's body and having her way with her once more.

"You better not leave anymore hickies," Paige told her, muffled as she continued brushing, "my mom will not be pleased,"

"I'm just kissing," Emily shrugged, though her hands had drifted and were now sliding into the front of Paige's jeans. She played with the hem of her underwear, the desire to guide her hand lower and pleasure Paige one more time almost too much to bare.

"Em…" she warned, arching an eyebrow at her in the mirror, "don't go getting me all worked up again. We have to hit the road,"

"Fine," she groaned, though refused to move her hands, "I can't help it. You're just so damn sexy and cute. And delicious," she whispered, pressing another kiss to Paige's neck, "have I mentioned delicious?"

"I promise you can have your naughty way with me when we get back home," she winked, and lowered her head to rinse.

"Promise?"

"I promise," she replied, and turned to face her, "now how do I look? Do I look like a girl who spent her morning planning the name of her new restaurant and not having shower sex with the girl my parents are only meeting for the third time?" she asked and Emily rolled her eyes.

"You look like both, cause you are,"

"Right but we can't act like that's what we were doing. Val will know before we even step in the house," Paige told her.

"So then act normal, goofball. It's not like I'm gonna brag about it or anything. Well, not to your parents, anyhow," she smirked.

"Oh yeah? But you're gonna brag, to who, Hanna?" she laughed.

"Definitely. And Angie,"

"Oh that'll be fun. I can hear it already. 'You finally tapped that skinny ass, bout time, I was about to toss that girl a sympathy bang'" she mocked her friend and they both laughed.

"Something like that. Speaking of which, now that we're...you know, firing on all cylinders, maybe we can try to fix her and Greg," Emily shrugged, stepping closer to Paige, hooking her fingers in her belt loops.

"Her and Greg aren't broken," Paige said, "they don't have to have what we have Em. It's sweet you want to help but maybe they just want a sex, no strings attached thing,"

"They don't," Emily pinned her with a look, "we should go out to dinner, the four of us,"

"I don't think she'll go for that,"

"Sure she will. Just ask her. Use your smile and your charm. You're adorable, and very convincing," she teased, pulling Paige in for a kiss.

"Fine," she sighed against Emily's lips, though she was smiling, "and I'm the one who is supposed to do the convincing?"

"Yup," she grinned back, her fingers going back to playing with the clasp on Paige's jeans.

"Quit tryin to get in my pants, would ya," Paige laughed, swatting at her hands, "go get dressed. We're gonna be late for lunch,"

"Fine…" she pouted, and headed toward Paige's bedroom, peeling the towel from her body and dropping it behind her as she went, knowing full well without even having to turn around that Paige's eyes were locked on her.

"Damn…" Paige sighed… "this girl is gonna be the death of me,"

* * *

"So Emily, what are you studying down in North Carolina?" Paige's father asked as they sat around the table for lunch. There were platters spread across the entire dining room table, of everything from barbecued chicken to baked ziti and meatballs. To Emily, it looked more like a dinner for a special occasion than a spontaneous lunch, but Paige hadn't batted an eye upon sitting down and digging in, so she guessed it was just normal for the McCullers family.

"Um, well, it started out as business," she told him as she spooned some of Val's famous potato salad onto her plate, "but I'm thinking about changing. Maybe education, something like that,"

"That's what our Owen did," Val cut in, "he's a wonderful teacher. Great with the kids. Funny and really knows how to get the best out of them,"

"Yeah he has that personality," Emily smiled, "I'm not sure I do, but I think I'd like it more than business,"

"You'd be great with kids, babe," Paige cut in through a mouthful of ziti, her mother pinning her with a glare that told her to mind her manners, "I've told you, Jared and Lacey and Logan all love you," she added after swallowing her food.

"I know. It's just a lot to think about,"

"Well whatever you decide you'll be great," Val smiled, "try some of these carrots, Emily. Nick and I grew them in the garden and just picked them this morning. I roasted them with a little brown sugar and dill," she told her passing the pan to her.

"They look delicious, thank you,"

Paige smiled as she watched her parents trying to get to know Emily, the girl she loved so deeply seeming to fill a void in her family that she hadn't even noticed was there before.

"So, mom, dad, I actually have some news I want to talk to you about," Paige announced, and took a sip of the iced tea in front of her, clearing her throat after she swallowed.

"You pregnant?" Nick asked through a smirk and Paige rolled her eyes at him.

"Fat chance, dad," she replied.

"Good, cause I would've found the punk and broke his neck,"

"Nick, don't be so vulgar at the table," Val chastised, "what's your news baby?

"Courtney Calloway bought a restaurant. And...she wants me to run it. To be the executive chef. She's like...my silent partner I guess. She'll be there when I want her there but I get full control of the menu, of everything,"

"Are you kidding?" Val gasped, "honey that's great!"

"About time," Nick smiled, "I knew a world class chef wasn't sniffing around you for no reason. What'd she wait for? All that time you were busting your hump for Chrissy, and then worried about finding another job?" he wondered.

"She couldn't tell me dad. She couldn't tell me and then still write the article about me. Conflict of interest or whatever. It would've been self serving for her to write a piece about a chef that works for her. But it all worked out, cause now I got both," she smiled.

"That's wonderful honey. Where is this place?"

"It's over on Cherry Street. Where Sophie's used to be?" she explained, "right off exit 14 where that old book store is,"

"Sophie's, yeah I know the place," Nick smiled, "best fried chicken in town. And they had a chocolate peanut butter milkshake that would knock your socks off,"

"Yeah that's what Courtney said. So I guess since that's what so many people remember about that place I should start working on a fried chicken recipe huh? Kind of pay homage, keep it tied into what it was?"

"I think that's a great idea, kiddo. I can't wait to try it. When do you open?"

"Not for a while. It needs a little work and I have to come up with a menu and a name and all that. I figure I'll call Ryan later today and ask him to come up and take a look. Make sure everything's gonna pass inspection. And go from there,"

"I can come take a look, too kiddo. Your old man still knows his way around the kitchen," he winked.

"Yeah, unless you ask him to do the dishes," Val rolled her eyes with a smile, "then it's all 'my back hurts, the game's on, let's just use paper'" she mocked, and everyone broke into laughter.

"I just thought you liked doing dishes, dear," he teased.

"Oh I love it. Nothing a mother of five loves more than a sinkful of dishes,"

"Point is, I can go make sure all the equipment is in good shape. The ovens and the steamers and the grill. That'll give Paigey time to work on her menu. I assume you're gonna cook me up one of those cherry bacon burgers from your article? Sounds delicious,"

"Sure dad. You guys have to come for dinner opening night. Everyone, the boys too and all the kids. I want a full house," Paige announced.

"You're gonna have that every night of the week," Emily smiled.

"Okay, how about a toast?" Val cut in, and raised her glass, the others following suit, "to Paige and her new opportunity. You'll be great sweetheart, you were born for this. We are so incredibly proud of you,"

"Thanks mom," Paige blushed, and they all clinked their glasses together and drank.

"Emily, let's get some more food on that plate. You're headed back to school soon, and you'll be living on pizza and cafeteria salads. Let's fill that belly with home cooked food," she said, and passed a pan of sausage and peppers to her daughter's girlfriend, at which Paige and Nick could only chuckle.

"You thought your mom liked feeding people? Mine will fatten you up like you're going to war," she laughed.

"That goes for you too, Paige," Val cut in, adding another scoop of ziti to her daughter's plate. Now both of you eat up. I want to go see this restaurant," she added, and after leaning over to press a kiss to her daughter's cheek, they all got back to eating.


	25. Chapter 25

Hey guys. Two updates in one week, what? I promise it's really me lol. Thank you for the nice reviews on my last chapter, it really means a lot to me. I had quite a stressful week and I needed some fluffiness. And this came out. So I hope you guys like it. Enjoy, and thanks as always.

* * *

"Wow, are those jalapenos?" Emily asked, she and Val walking together through Nick's prized vegetable garden in the McCullers' backyard. After their feast, while they had planned to travel with Paige's parents to see her new restaurant, Nick discovered that the Phillies game had gone into extra innings, which led to he and Paige planting themselves on the couch, eyes glued to the television, refusing to get up until the game was over. Ever the attentive host, Val had insisted on taking Emily out back to give her a tour of the garden, carrying along a bag so she could pick some vegetables to take home with her.

"Sure are," Val hummed, running her fingers along some parsley leaves, looking for a good place to trim them, "Nick eats the damn things like apples sometimes. You like spicy food?"

"I love spicy food," Emily smiled, "Paige teases me all the time, cause I cover half my food in hot sauce constantly,"

"Take as many as you like," she offered, "Nick and I, when the kids aren't around, we try to eat real healthy. Whole grains and lots of chicken and fish. The fresh veggies, they make it a little easier. Something about home grown just makes it taste better. And the hot peppers, they help Nick forget, you know?"

"Forget he's eating healthy?" Emily laughed, and plucked a pepper for her bag before moving on to the next plant for another.

"Pretty much," Val chuckled back, "you are talking about a man who ate a meatball sub on our first date and insisted our wedding have a macaroni & cheese bar,"

"Nice," Emily barked a laugh, "that sounds exactly like something Paige would do too,"

"She is very much her father," Val replied through a happy sigh, "ever since she was knee high, if her daddy did it, she wanted to do it too. Cooking, baseball, didn't matter. She is him, through and through,"

"She's the most amazing person I've ever known," Emily smiled, "if any of that came from him I can understand how you fell for him so fast,"

"Thank you. That's very nice to hear. I worry about that girl like you wouldn't believe. It's nice to know she's found someone who makes her happy," she told her, "you two seem to fit together well,"

"I think so. I had no idea I needed her until she was smack dab in front of me. But now I have no idea what I'd do without her. I'm so in love with this world she lives in. Watching her cook, how much she loves it, how much she just wants to be the best she can be. Even when she's completely flustered and ready to give up I think she's marvelous," Emily explained. She watched as Val clipped away at some basil, careful not to damage the leaves as she separated the stems.

"I am familiar with that feeling," Val smiled, "one minute I'm sitting in my new boyfriend's parents' restaurant, having a milkshake and a hamburger, and he's running all around that place, trying to impress me, the next thing you know I've got a ring on my finger, a baby in my belly and we're signing papers to buy the damn place,"

"Sounds like it was the right call though," Emily replied, "I mean my parents loved that place. I never knew it until I met Paige, but my dad hasn't stopped going on about it since we met. And Courtney Calloway, she says everyone she knew loved it there,"

"I wouldn't have traded it for anything. We had a great thing going for a while. But by the time the boys were all out on their own and Paige was finishing high school, we were just tired you know? We wanted to travel a bit, and have some time to just enjoy our time before we got too old. I swear, I don't think our house was silent from the day Jordan was born until the day Paige left for culinary school. We spent the first week probably just sleeping...eating takeout in bed and watching movies," she recalled with a laugh.

"That sounds nice. Still, as tired as it made you, you can really tell how much they all mean to you. Paige is the most compassionate person I've ever met. She definitely gets that from you,"

"Thanks, honey. I adore my kids more than anything. They drove me nuts half the time, but what do you expect, five of them running around, each one with more energy than the last? That's why I love having grandkids. I can spoil them, feed them cookies and ice cream, and send them back home. A little revenge, grandma style, for the Sunday mornings Jordy and Nate insisted on playing laser tag in the house, or when Ryan would stay up all night watching Wrestlemania and practicing the moves by jumping on his bed," she recalled, and they both laughed.

"They were a rowdy bunch huh?"

"Were? You saw them at the barbecue, honey. I had to keep a first aid kit in my purse and one in the car because no matter where we went, one of them was bound to get hurt. Usually Paige. Girl was the most accident prone child you ever saw. And I'm not entirely sure it's gotten better since adulthood," she shook her head with a laugh.

"I haven't really noticed," Emily shrugged, "but I've worked in a few kitchens and injuries just come with the territory. I wouldn't worry. She's tough,"

"That she is. She wears her heart on her sleeve but I've never seen her shed a tear over a skinned knee or broken bone,"

"I love that about her," Emily smiled, "I'm so the opposite. More closed off and private about my feelings. It takes a lot for me to open up,"

"Mmm," Val nodded, "are you a Virgo?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Your star sign. A Virgo?" she repeated, "don't mind me, dear, it's a new hobby of mine. Caught my eye in the paper one morning so now I check them every day. Mine, Nick's, all the kids'. They can be pretty spot on,"

"Oh. No, Scorpio actually,"

"Ah. That makes sense. Scorpios are a little more...private. My Paigey is a textbook Cancer. Sensitive, passionate, loyal. Almost to a fault, loyal, but loyal nonetheless. Unfortunately, full of self doubt sometimes. But from what I read, that makes you a good match. You balance each other out well. Her weaknesses are your strengths. I think that's great," she explained.

"Yeah, cool. I never knew all that,"

"It's just a hobby," she said again, with a shrug, "okay, moving on. Don't let me forget to send Paige home with some blueberries. They're her favorite. How about some tomatoes and carrots?"

* * *

"How are they not picking him off? He's leading off by a mile," Paige commented as she watched the game play out on TV with her father. He hummed in agreement as he nursed his beer, Paige following suit with a sip of her lemonade.

"He may as well bury his head in the sand. I don't know what's more frustrating, watching the Phils blow a 7-2 lead or that sad excuse of a powerplay squad the Flyers let ruin their shot at the cup this year,"

"The Flyers are about as close to winning the cup as I am to winning Iron Chef," Paige scoffed, "he's gonna steal third you moron! Turn around!"

"Hey don't talk about my favorite chef like that," Nick grinned at her, "if you went on that show you'd kick ass. You just got handed a restaurant at 25, I say you're doing pretty damn good,"

"It seemed like a fair comparison," Paige laughed, "Fine. The Flyers are as close to winning the cup as...mom is to getting rid of these damn throw pillows," she laughed, picking one up and tossing it at her father.

"Now you're talkin'," he winked, and took another sip, groaning as the game cut to commercial, "another damn commercial. It's extra innings for crying out loud!"

"Mmmhmm," Paige replied, though she had stopped paying attention the second the commercial hit, instead craning her neck to look out the sliding glass door into the backyard, and catch a glimpse of Emily and her mother. Nick, following her eyeline, smiled at this and patted her on the knee.

"They're fine," he assured her, "that girl of yours is pretty special,"

"What do you think they're talking about?" she asked softly.

"Oh you. Most definitely you,"

"Dad…" she whined, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Well? I highly doubt they're out there talking about the Flyers powerplay. Though if they are, kudos to you, cause then she's really one hell of a gal," he teased, and Paige, still quite unamused, picked up another throw pillow from behind her back and tossed it at her father.

"Hey!" he hollered, "if I get beer on one of these pillows, you're the one who has to explain it to your ma. I ain't taking that heat twice in a lifetime," he told her, though he was grinning ear to ear.

"You know, you should be happy. You're the apple of her eye, and you're finally dating someone who gets that. There's nothing wrong with your mom out there gloating on you, if that's what she's doing. She did it with all your brothers' wives. It's what moms do, Paige,"

"Alright," she sighed, and leaned back against the sofa, "just don't go scaring her off with all your 'break her heart I'll break you' crap," she insisted.

"I don't think I have to," he laughed, "she knows. Besides, her father is an army man. I'm sure she's heard it all already,"

"I think so. I just mean, you don't have to worry. Em came into my life for a reason. She could've gotten a job anywhere this summer. But she ended up at Dontana's cause I needed her and now there's nothing about my life that makes sense without her in it. Do you believe in that kind of stuff? Like the universe knew we needed each other? Cause I've never felt this way before. Everyone else I've been with, it was...it was just easy and it was there you know? But since the moment Em walked into my kitchen everything felt different, and every thing that happened after that has led us to where we are now. And it's gonna be hard, her going to school and all that, but I think we can do it...I think we can do it because when I think about my future, Emily's there. So you guys don't have to worry, cause I know now, I finally know what I want in life, and every single road leads to Emily,"

"I'm not worried, kiddo," he smiled back at his daughter, "I worry about ya every day. I worry about you slicing your fingers off with a paring knife or steam burns or broken bones. I worry about you in that city by yourself. But I don't worry about Emily. You smile about a billion watts when you look at her. She drove you from Philly to Delaware when your brother had his accident, just so you wouldn't be alone. She tried every single thing your mom shoveled onto her plate before, and now she's out there chatting it up with her so that you could watch the game with your old man. Tell me Kelsey would've done any of that for you,"

"Probably not," Paige shook her head, "dad, you know it's not her fault the way she is. Kelsey and I weren't meant to be but I can't hold that against her,"

"I know, kiddo. I'm not saying she's a bad girl, just that, Emily is so much more invested in being a couple and you can tell it by spending five minutes with you two. So we worry about a lot of stuff, but we aren't worried about Emily. I'm pretty sure your mom already started collecting stuff to mail her a care package, actually," he laughed.

"Yeah that sounds like mom," Paige chuckled back, "don't let her send Tide pods like she did when I was in college? Em's not a slacker on her laundry and stuff like I am,"

"I have no say in it," he held his hands up with a smile, "besides, you know she means no harm. I think she did stuff like that more so she didn't have to worry about you spending your money on those kind of things. It all comes from a good place, Paige. Your mom's got a heart of gold, just like you,"

"I know," she agreed, and turned her attention back to the game as is came back on, her father following suit.

"I hate the Mets," Nick grumbled, Paige nodding her head emphatically in agreement.

"Me too,"

A few moments later, they heard the sliding door open, Emily and Val laughing at something as they stepped back into the house together, both with bags full of veggies and herbs fresh from the garden.

"Is that damn game still going on?" Val asked as she stood behind the couch, dropping a kiss to the top of her daughter's head, placing the bag of things she had picked for her in her lap and hugging her from behind.

"They can't get it together," Paige mumbled awkwardly, the angle at which her mother was now cradling her head making it tough to move her jaw.

"Mmm," Val replied, and with another kiss to Paige's temple pulled back, and pointed to the bag in her daughter's lap, "there's some blueberries in there for you. Just let me pack you up some ziti and chicken for you and then we can hit the road. I can't wait to see your new place,"

"That makes two of us," Nick agreed, standing up from his spot on the couch with a stretch, "you're gonna have to drive, dear," he called after his wife, "that beer caught up with me in a hurry,"

"I was already planning on it, dear,"

"I'll go make sure there's gas in the car. These damn Phils are gonna blow it any second anyway," he grumbled.

"Yeah they are," Paige laughed, and stood from the couch to greet Emily properly, dropping a kiss to her lips, "did you get some good stuff?"

"Yeah, lots. Tomatoes and carrots, string beans and jalapenos. I've already decided you're making me a nice veggie omelette for breakfast in the morning,"

"Oh have you?" Paige laughed, "maybe I wanted to go out for breakfast,"

"Well then you shouldn't have become a chef," Emily teased, and pulled her girlfriend in for another kiss.

* * *

"You and these damn hickies," Paige giggled as Emily nibbled at her neck from behind, "I am not wearing a turtleneck in August, I refuse!"

"I don't want you to wear a turtleneck," Emily mumbled, "I want everyone to know you're taken. I'm marking my territory,"

"How very primal of you," Paige laughed, "I think I've created a monster,"

The visit to her new restaurant with her parents had gone well, Nick giving her some tips for menu ideas and even agreeing to swing by a few times a week to help her get the place cleaned and help her set up the new equipment she would be ordering in the days to come. Val had even offered to help get the bar up and running, and come up with a few signature cocktails for Paige's opening night. Then, tired and ready to call it a night, they had headed back to New Jersey, leaving Paige and Emily to lock up and head back to Paige's apartment. After putting away the multiple containers of leftovers Val had sent them back with, ziti and chicken for each of them, along with a big bowl of pasta salad and half a peach pie she had made that morning, they had decided to top their night off with a nice bubble bath, and now Paige sat between Emily's legs, enjoying the lavishing attention Emily was paying her body as they relaxed in the hot water, a glass of wine each resting on the edge of the tub, a few candles flickering about the small bathroom.

"What can I say? I'm pretty sure I'm addicted to you," she laughed against Paige's skin. Her hands slid from Paige's knees, coming up to cup her breasts under the water, giving them a gentle squeeze, one that was rewarded with a gasp from Paige's lips.

"I'm not complaining," she sighed, "especially since two weeks from now we'll both be celibate,"

"Don't remind me," Emily groaned, "I'm not looking forward to the sex embargo, and we've only been having sex for two days,"

"I know. Makes me want to keep you all to myself these next two weeks. Just you and me, doing it in every room of this apartment until you leave," she chuckled.

"Don't tempt me,"

"I know, I know. You have to spend time with your mom before you go. And Hanna, cause, I'll be stuck here in Philly with her and she'll kill me," she laughed, "I'm gonna come visit more than you think. Not enough to break your focus but enough that we'll be okay. You just have to tell your roommate to find another place to be when I visit,"

"I'll try," Emily barked a laugh.

"Just tell her the truth. Tell her your girlfriend is unbelievably sexy and that you are going to take her out for a nice dinner while she's in town, and get her drunk on white wine so you can bring her back to your room and have your way with her," she laughed back.

"Mmhmm, that's what I'll do, miss innocent. Don't make me out to be the insatiable one, I saw you checking out my butt half the day today," Emily teased.

"Well, it's a very nice butt," she shrugged, "and you have no one to blame but yourself for that one. I heard Hanna tell Angie that she helped you pick out jeans specifically for that reason, so I would check you out,"

"Yeah, yeah," Emily mumbled, going back to pressing kisses across her neck, "what else could I do? I wasn't so good with the words when we first met, I had to direct your attention to other things to keep your interest,"

"Since the second we met you had my interest. Though I gotta say I don't mind hearing the animalistic mating rituals of Emily Fields," she laughed, "so intent on getting in my pants you had to make sure I paid attention to yours,"

"Ha ha. You know," she purred, and took Paige's earlobe between her teeth, biting it gently before pressing her lips directly to her ear, "I think I'm ready for dessert," she whispered.

"Oh yeah?" Paige grinned, and squirmed out of Emily's arms, hopping excitedly out of the tub, careful not to knock over their wine glasses, "me too,"

"Now who's the insatiable one?" she laughed, though not all that convincingly as her eyes raked over Paige's body, licking her lips at the thought of licking the water droplets from her stomach, of kissing every inch of her, of loving her, devouring her over and over, for the next few hours. It made her mouth water, her belly tighten, the way she craved Paige, craved the taste of her, craved the feeling of her nipples hardening under her palms, craved Paige's fingers tied into her hair, her nails digging into the backs of her shoulders. She craved the moment after, while they caught their breath, and Paige would look at her, her eyes full of love and something so incredibly magical Emily hadn't been able to quite put her finger on it yet. She was addicted alright, addicted to Paige and her body and everything that she was and could dream to be. She was addicted to loving someone so much, so deeply, that she felt like she could drown in it, loving someone whose kiss burned her lips in the best possible way, the kind of way she had never known before, that just left her wanting it to go on forever. She was addicted to Paige, and sex with Paige for sure, but mostly what it meant for her, to be so awakened at how powerful these things she felt for the girl before her were. To love someone so much, that the idea of your bodies being separated was almost too much to bare, that her heart may literally give out if not pressed closely to Paige's while they made love. It was something she could never put into words if someone had asked, and something she was grateful to have found in Paige. It wasn't just sex and it wasn't just about physical satisfaction anymore. Sex with Paige had, in the span of only 24 hours, become something as craved as guiding air into her lungs. She didn't have to think about it, she just knew she needed it.

"I'm gonna go with you, still," Paige chuckled.

"You should never, ever put clothes on," Emily purred, and after tossing the remainder of her wine down in one gulp, stood from the tub and sauntered over to Paige. She was stalking her prey, and never in Paige's life before this had she been more thrilled to be looked at in such a way.

"I think the health department frowns on naked chefs," she joked as Emily tied her arms around her waist, and pressed their foreheads together.

"I love you," she whispered, "and I hope you're not tired. Because I'm going to spend the next few hours loving you over…" she pecked her lips, "and over...and over again," she repeated, and with a gulp Paige pulled her in for a proper kiss, sliding her arms under Emily and lifting her up into her arms, Emily instinctively wrapping her legs around Paige's midsection, moaning excitedly into their kiss.

"I'm totally not tired," Paige grinned, "and I love you too,"


	26. Chapter 26

Hey everyone. I figure we all need a little lighthearted, Paily love this week. I know I'm a little late but hopefully this makes you smile. Love will always win. Hope you all enjoy :)

* * *

"You know we're being total cliches right now, right?" Paige laughed as her and Courtney took their place in line at Geno's, one of Philadelphia's most famous cheesesteak shops. There was a Phillies home game starting within the hour, so of course the line was insane, full of tourists and out of town baseball fans just itching to get an Instagram worthy photo in front of the infamous shop, and one taking a sloppy bite of an authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak. But when Courtney awoke with the craving of the century, she decided to call up her new business partner, brave the traffic and wait in line for the city's staple sandwich.

"I know, I know," Courtney replied, "just embrace the stereotype and indulge with me would you? I swear I dreamt about these grilled onions last night. I just knew I was gonna be a cranky, hot mess until I got one of these things,"

"Damn," Paige replied, "hell of a craving. I get it though. The other night I had a dream about those deep fried lasagna bites from DeFranco's? You should've seen the drool on my pillow when I woke up," she laughed.

"Those are out of this world," Courtney agreed, "did you go get some?"

"Oh, nah," Paige shook her head, "Emily and I ended up getting pizza instead. Craving kind of went away,"

"Ah. That's probably cause you're not 5 weeks pregnant," Courtney nodded as she rustled through her wallet, trying to decide if she was going to pay cash or charge for their lunch.

"Yeah," Paige hummed, "wait, what? You...you mean, you are? You're pregnant?" she stammered.

"Guilty as charged," she grinned sheepishly, then placed a hand on her belly, "Seth's birthday weekend last month. Was the first time he had been home since mine in May. You do the math,"

"Wow!" Paige exclaimed, "that's so...I mean, you're happy right? This is good?"

"My parents might not be too thrilled about a baby before the wedding, but, yeah," she smiled, "I couldn't be happier. This is definitely the next step for us. And he's so happy. The look on his face when I told him...I am so in love with that look,"

"Wow...well congrats. I'm really happy for you guys. And I'm glad he's happy. How are you going to do things with him working in New York though?"

"He's giving up his job at the Institute and selling the restaurant. Which was the plan for after the wedding anyhow. But as soon as he found out about the baby he really kicked it into high gear with everything. When I woke up this morning he was googling the best classic rock songs to sing to your baby while it's in the womb," she chuckled and Paige laughed along.

"That sounds like something my dad probably did," she shook her head, "what are you hoping for? Boy or girl?"

"Healthy. And, ideally, his nose and jawline. Actually, his teeth in general, cause I had braces until I was 19," she explained.

"Good point. I guess as long as the baby's healthy that's all you can really ask for. And either way that kid is gonna be the master chef of the universe one day," Paige laughed, and finally the line began to move forward a bit. The smell of the grilled onions hit their noses and even though a cheesesteak would've been the last thing on Paige's mind that day, the aroma had her stomach growling instantly.

"Maybe. Seth said he or she can be whatever they want to be. But I have a hard time believing he's not gonna come home with a mini chef's coat for the kid one of these days," Courtney rolled her eyes, "enough about me, where's Emily at today? I figured you two would be attached at the hip until she leaves for school,"

"We kinda have been," Paige nodded, "she's shopping with Hanna today, and then they're going to get massages and get their nails done, but Em doesn't know that yet. I called my credit card into the salon and just told Hanna to get her there," she explained.

"That was sweet of you," Courtney smiled, "Emily is a lucky girl,"

"Thanks. I figured she deserves it. Worked her last shift of the summer last night and goes back to school in a few days. I'm gonna miss her like crazy, but Hanna's been her best friend forever. I thought they could use a day to hang out. I feel bad, Hanna looked forward to her coming home all year and then I kind of hogged her all summer,"

"I'm sure she understands," Courtney assured her, "she's probably just happy her friend found someone who loves her so much and makes her so happy,"

"Thanks," Paige smiled again, "so what are you gonna do today, after you feed the baby this cheesesteak it bugged you for all night?" she laughed.

"Honestly, I think I'll just go home and hang out with Seth. He's only home for a few more days this trip before he's gotta head back to New York. He was mowing the lawn when I left but I told him when I got back maybe we could just lay out by the pool or watch some movies or something. Just want to soak up some time with him before he's gone again,"

"Yeah," Paige muttered, "yeah, I get that,"

"How about you? What are you going to do until Emily gets home?"

"My brother Ryan wants me to play hockey on Xbox live with him," she rolled her eyes with a laugh, "but other than that I might just work on the menu for the restaurant a bit. Clean up and figure out something good for dinner. We'll probably do a movie or something too,"

"How is your brother Ryan? I haven't seen him in ages,"

"Oh, uh, he's good. I didn't realize you knew him? I mean I know you knew of him, but…" Paige rambled.

"We were in Mr. Helbig's study hall together in eleventh grade," Courtney recalled with a laugh, "and he made out with my sister at Vanessa Palmero's grad party,"

"Oh my God," Paige winced, "I am so sorry. He was so bad back then with girls. All of my brothers were. Except Owen, he's been with the same girl since like 7th grade,"

"Don't apologize," Courtney laughed, "my sister was obsessed with him, she probably started it all," she waved off.

"I guess it's just as well. I made out with Vanessa Palmero's sister under the bleachers at every home volleyball game," Paige admitted with a laugh.

"You didn't," Courtney gasped and Paige covered her face with her hands as she continued to laugh.

"I did,"

"You McCullers kids," she shook her head, "what a rowdy bunch you all were,"

"It was the volleyball shorts, I couldn't help it!" Paige defended, "besides, she definitely started it, batting her eyes at me from across the gym during the pep rally after the softball team won states. I was a teenager, a hormone souffle,"

"I get it. We were all out of control in high school. Your poor mom, though, it's a wonder she's not in the nut house, chasing all of you around. Especially the boys,"

"It takes a lot more than some rowdy kids to take out Val McCullers," Paige replied, "she didn't put up with as much crap as you'd think," she told her, and the line moved forward again. They were close enough now to browse the menu, and Paige took a glance, even though she already knew what she wanted.

"Oh I have no doubts. She was like the sheriff of 53rd street back in the day. I can't tell you how many people I saw get tossed out on their ass for acting up in her bar," Courtney recalled with a laugh, "unfortunately I was one of them a few nights,"

"The warden," Paige replied and Courtney cocked her head back to her in question.

"I'm sorry?"

"Not the sheriff, the warden. That's what me and my brothers all called her anyhow. And my dad, though he'll never admit it in his life if you ask him," she laughed.

"Right, the warden. That sounds about right. A sweet lady though. And damn, she made a malibu bay breeze that would knock your socks off,"

"She does have a way with a cocktail," Paige agreed, "I still can't get her to understand the difference between an email and a text, but you should see her looking up drink recipes on Pinterest,"

"I'll bet," Courtney grinned, "well once I'm no longer with child, I look forward to trying one. Maybe she could even help us come up with a few signature cocktails for the restaurant?"

"She'd love that," Paige smiled, "since they retired she loves a good project. My dad does too, but for him a 'project' usually turns into him hiding out in the shed watching baseball on his iPad and nursing a six pack,"

"Sounds a lot like my dad," Courtney chuckled back. They moved up to the counter, as it was finally their turn, and before Paige could even reach for her wallet Courtney held a hand up to stop her.

"Two provolone, with," she told the clerk, "and 2 root beers, please," she ordered. The girl hit some buttons on her register while another employee got to work assembling their sandwiches and pouring their drinks. There weren't a lot of pleasantries when it came to ordering a cheesesteak in Philly, and neither Paige nor Courtney were phased by the bluntness of the transaction.

"$26," the cashier muttered and Courtney handed over her cash.

"Thanks," Paige smiled, "I'll get you back next time,"

"Please, it's the least I could do for dragging you out to deal with this crowd during your alone time. My treat,"

"I don't mind, but thank you," Paige replied.

"My pleasure," she answered, and along with her change, the food and sodas were slid across the counter to her, "let's eat,"

* * *

"I gotta hand it to your girl," Hanna sighed happily from the manicure chair, her feet up and a glass of sparkling cider in one hand as one of the manicurists worked on the other, "this is pretty damn fancy,"

"Mmmhmm," Emily hummed in reply. She glanced over the bottles of polish she had to choose from, pointing to a pale blue, figuring it would be fitting to match her school colors for her upcoming return to class. The nail technician smiled and shook the bottle signaling for Emily to lay her land down and relax.

They had hit a few stores in the mall, Emily picking out a few simple things to take back to school, some jeans, a few things for her dorm room, and some sneakers for training. Emily had suggested they go for lunch when Hanna had insisted they come to the salon, Emily pleasantly surprised when she was told by the woman at the front desk that a manicure, pedicure and hot stone massage had all been prepaid for her over the phone by Paige. It had her grinning from ear to ear, the thoughtfulness of her girlfriend, and ultimately had her all the more anxious to see her after they were finished.

"Baby blue?" Hanna asked as she sipped at her drink.

"UNC blue," Emily corrected, "I probably would've done it myself anyway if Paige hadn't planned this amazing little spa day,"

"Again, cheers to your girl. This was a great idea,"

"She's the most perfect thing that has ever happened to me…" Emily sighed through a smile, "promise me you'll keep an eye on her while I'm away?"

"Em, for shit's sake, Paige isn't gonna cheat on you. She loves you, look at all the dough she shelled out just so you could get a little mani-pedi and massage. That's a good girlfriend right there,"

"I know she's not gonna cheat on me," Emily rolled her eyes, "I mean just make sure she's okay. Hang out with her. Make sure she doesn't get herself too stressed about the restaurant,"

"Oh," Hanna answered, "well of course I'm gonna hang out with her. We'll make it a weekly thing maybe. Shopping and dinner. See if I can get her skinny ass in something other than band t-shirts and hockey jerseys," she rolled her eyes.

"Good luck with that," Emily snickered, "she looks hot in hockey jerseys, leave her alone,"

"She's got arms I would kill for, she shouldn't cover them up. And don't even act like you don't know what I'm talking about,"

"I'm not acting like anything," Emily defended, "try to take her shopping if you want. It's not like I care, she looks like the sexiest thing alive in anything she wears,"

"Don't worry, Em. I'll get her looking so good for your first Skype date you'll be drooling all over your keyboard," Hanna promised. Emily smiled and sighed contently, laying her head back against the headrest of her chair, resting her eyes.

"So what about you?" she asked, "what classes are you taking first semester?"

"I have a few stupid core classes they make everyone take. Communications, which is just a way to get people to do presentations in front of the class for an entire semester, to get used to talking in crowds. And for some stupid reason, statistics," Hanna groaned.

"I took both of those already. They're easy,"

"Maybe for you. Other than that I have a few good ones. Technical sketching, merchandise management. Those should be a breeze in case stupid stats tanks my GPA. What about you? Did you talk to your advisor about changing your major yet?" Hanna asked.

"I emailed her yesterday, she's working on a schedule for me and I have to meet with her as soon as I get back to campus. I only have room for one elective since I'm changing and have to double up on my education core classes to catch up. So I told her to put me in Intro to Film if she can squeeze me in,"

"Intro to Film?" Hanna laughed, "what do you know about film?"

"Nothing, until I take Intro to Film," Emily giggled back, "Paige talked me into it. An easy A and you get to watch movies all the time, how bad could it be?"

"Something tells me it's a little more complicated than that. It's not like you're gonna sit there with your feet up, eating popcorn and watching Titanic. You gotta get all analytical and shit," Hanna replied and Emily rolled her eyes.

"Now who's the film expert?" she laughed.

"Whatever, Em. I'm just looking out for you. Don't be taking too many hard classes. You have to keep your GPA up, you've got swimming and basketball...don't overdo it,"

"Don't worry, Han. I feel like I'm making the right call. Last year I just did what I thought everyone else wanted me to do. This year, meeting Paige...everything feels more real and important. I feel like this year, I'm actually building a future. Or at least on a better track toward figuring one out,"

"Aww…" Hanna cooed, "you two are so freakin cute I could puke," she said, and the woman working on her nails looked up at her, an eyebrow arched and a grimace on her face.

"What?" Hanna hissed, "I'm not gonna, geeze, it's a figure of speech,"

"You're a piece of work," Emily laughed, "you know that right?"

"Oh you love me. You know if you and Paige get married and have pretty mini-chef babies, it's all cause of your bestest friend Hanna. Don't forget who introduced you,"

"I'm pretty sure the first thing you did when Paige and I met was threaten me to stop checking her out," Emily reminded her, "besides don't you believe in fate? Don't you believe Paige and I would've found each other one way or another?"

"Eh, you two? Probably. Doesn't mean I can't take a little credit. Can't you just let me have a little credit?" she replied.

"Yes, Hanna. Thank you for introducing us," she chuckled, "I have to admit of all the ways I pictured this summer going, what I got is so much better than anything I could've imagined. I knew as soon as I walked into that damn kitchen my whole world changed. I thought I'd be heading back to school with a broken heart for sure. I still kinda can't believe she chose me in the end,"

"Oh, shut up, Em. Of course she chose you. You two are like...what do they call it...endgame. You two are endgame, and everybody with eyes can see that,"

"Thanks Han," she smiled.

"So what are you doing for her?"

"What do you mean?" Emily asked, "doing for her?"

"She got you a spa day with your BFF. Aren't you gonna do something nice for her? Get her a present or something before you go?"

"Oh...well, I didn't really think we were exchanging gifts or anything. But I kind of made her a mix cd. You know, to listen to on the drive back to Philly after you guys drop me off?" Emily explained, "it was just something I wanted to do. A little something she can pop in whenever she gets lonely or whatever,"

"A mix cd?" Hanna grinned, "how nineties of you, Em. I love it. Can I hear it?"

"What? No! It's...private. It's just for her and I. Do you think it's enough though? Should I like, go buy her something?" she asked, biting her lip, suddenly nervous about something she hadn't even really thought about before.

"Hell no. She'll love it. It's romantic as hell. I bet she'll listen to it every day in her new fancy kitchen and drive all her new cooks crazy," Hanna chuckled, "maybe get her some candy. The way to that girl's heart is music and peanut butter cups,"

"Don't I know it. We were watching a movie in bed the other night and I asked her if she wanted a snack. She got up and made me a bowl of popcorn, and then sat there eating peanut butter with a spoon," Emily rolled her eyes with a laugh.

"What a dork. You two are so made for eachother,"

"Yeah we are…" Emily sighed happily, and closed her eyes once more to relax.

* * *

By the time Emily had dropped Hanna off at home and made her way to Paige's apartment, she was exhausted and starving. The sun was just beginning to set over the Philly skyline, and though the evening was just starting, she wasn't sure just how long she'd make it before falling asleep. Especially once she had a belly full of whatever she could imagine Paige had been whipping up for dinner.

She was surprised when she approached Paige's door, she didn't hear music like usual or smell anything cooking from inside. She tapped on the door softly before checking the knob, which was unlocked, and letting herself in. She couldn't help but smile at the sight, Paige passed out in her recliner, Xbox controller on her lap, a few empty sodas on the coffee table beside her. Emily shook her head with a quiet chuckle, closing and locking the door behind her, setting her purse on the ground and slipping out of her shoes, wiggling into the recliner next to Paige, trying, to no avail, not to wake her. As soon as Paige felt the added weight in the chair and Emily's lips pressed to her cheek she stirred, her eyes opening halfway to adjust to the light.

"Hey," she whispered, smiling as soon as she saw her girlfriend cuddled in close, "you're back early,"

"It's almost eight," Emily laughed, "how long have you been asleep?"

"I wasn't asleep," she lied, "I was just resting my eyes,"

"Mmhmm. I'm starving, do you want to order Chinese or something?" Emily asked, and her hand crept under Paige's t-shirt, her palm stroking across her abs a few times before coming back down and resting against the buckle on her belt.

"You sure you don't have something else on your mind?" Paige giggled, looking down at Emily's hand.

"Oh, I'm getting you out of these pants tonight one way or another," Emily purred, "but all I've eaten all day is a bowl of oatmeal and the berries they put in our sparkling juice at the salon. So first I need food,"

"Deal," Paige smiled, "go get comfy and pick a movie and I'll order. What'll it be?"

"Spring rolls, and kung pow shrimp. Extra hot sauce," she told her and pressed another kiss to her cheek.

"As if you have to tell me extra hot sauce at this point," Paige rolled her eyes with a grin, "did you enjoy your spa day with Hanna?"

"Of course I did. Thank you so much. It was so incredibly sweet of you," she smiled and laced her fingers together with Paige's. She couldn't help in that moment but wish that their summer was just beginning, that nights like this with the love of her life would be endless.

"You're welcome," Paige grinned, "I figured you and Hanna needed a BFF day. If anybody's gonna miss you as much as me, it's her,"

"She really enjoyed it too," Emily told her, "it was really sweet. I got you something too, but I'm gonna wait until we leave for North Carolina. I just...I'm not ready yet. It's for you to enjoy while I'm gone, and I'm not ready to be gone yet,"

"I'm not ready for you to be gone yet either," Paige gulped, "but whatever it is I know I'll love it,"

"How did this summer go so fast?" Emily sighed, "it feels like it just started,"

"I know. That's how great things are, though. And we have a whole bunch of more great things to look forward to. I'm gonna come watch your basketball games. Meet your friends and see your school. We've got Thanksgiving and Christmas to look forward to. And I'll be damned if I'm not kissing you on New Year's, even if it ends up being at some cheesy college party," she chuckled.

"I'll be here for New Year's, silly. Christmas break is like a month long,"

"Well, even better. We'll go shopping and go see the tree lighting in Rittenhouse square, and maybe have an ugly sweater party? Make gingerbread houses and cut down our own tree and decorate it while we listen to cheesy Christmas songs. It'll be great,"

"Hmm," Emily hummed, "somehow I bet you still could make an ugly sweater look hot,"

"You bet I can. So no more being sad huh? We've got plenty to look forward to. Right now, the most important of which, being this Chinese food. Now will ya go get some comfy clothes on and get off me woman, so I can order?" she teased, and Emily scoffed, grabbing Paige's face in her hands and pulling her in for a bruising kiss. Paige moaned into it, and tried to pull her closer in before Emily separated their lips with a pop.

"Just for that, we're watching Grey's Anatomy,"

"What? I don't even...I never even watched that show," Paige whined.

"If you love me, you're gonna have to learn to like it. I watch baseball for you, you can watch Grey's for me," Emily teased as she stood out of the chair and sauntered off toward Paige's bedroom.

"Damn it, I love you," Paige laughed to herself, and stood to find her stack of takeout menus so she could order their dinner.

* * *

Thanks again for sticking with me through this story guys. Means the world to me. Also, I did actually make the playlist that Emily's going to give to Paige. Since everyone uses a different platform for music these days, private message me if you're interested and I'd be happy to send you my song list. If you'd rather use your imagination, that's cool too :)


	27. Chapter 27

As always I want to thank everyone for all the support. I needed to take a break from this story, and it probably won't be my last, but I want everyone to know I'm not giving up on it. Thank you for reading and reviews are always appreciated.

Special shout out to my special someone who made this possible by chasing away my self-doubts and teaching me how to hold the bat at a different angle if I wanted to stop striking out. This one's for you.

Enjoy :)

* * *

"Aha! Welcome to Park Place, Hanna! That'll be thirteen-hundred big ones please and thank you," Paige boasted, already holding her hand out to collect her winnings.

"Geeze, I don't even have that much," Hanna groaned, "Em can you loan me some, you're practically Rock and Feller over there,"

"No can do, Han. I told you guys Monopoly was a bad idea," Emily held up her hands, "and I think the name you're looking for is Rockefeller,"

"Same difference, okay? Just fork over some cash. You can't be the banker and not give out good faith loans. It's just bad business," she argued.

"Can someone just loan her the money so I can try and get the hell out of jail? I swear you bitches have been around the board 3 full times since my ass has been locked up," Angie whined.

"Tell you what, Han," Paige spoke up, drumming her finger tips against the board, which had Emily rolling her eyes through a smirk, "you hand over the deed for Pacific Avenue and we'll call it even. That's prime real estate for McCullers Inc.,"

"Alright, babe, reel it in," Emily replied, "we all get it, you're the Monopoly master of the universe. Besides, I'm not all that far behind you,"

"Em, I love you, but when it comes to Monopoly we're in different leagues," Paige bragged, "I'm out to sea battling the great white shark and you're still bobbing for trout in the kiddie pond,"

"You're only playing one side of the board," Emily pointed out, "I'm creating long term investment opportunities all over town,"

"Oh...my...God. You two must have the nerdiest sex of all time," Angie groaned throwing her head back against the sofa.

"Hey!" both Paige and Emily cried out, Hanna covering her mouth with her hand to hide her own snickering. Emily, though, ever the wiser to Hanna's mannerisms, saw it immediately and took a swat at her friend.

They'd had plans to see a Phillies game that night, but when a thunderstorm had rolled into the city at the last minute, the game was cancelled, forcing the girls to take refuge inside. Paige had been intent on watching the game on television instead, but the other three girls had no interest and thus pizzas were ordered and the Monopoly board was drug out of Paige's closet where it had lay untouched since she could remember.

It was the eve of Emily's last day home, and all of the girls were actively trying not to think about it. Paige especially was a mess. Every time she let her mind wander to what the next 48 hours had in store, she felt her heart seize a bit in her chest, felt her hands go clammy, felt the need to curl up into a ball in her bed and pretend it wasn't happening. But, for her friends and especially for Emily, she put on a brave face, told jokes, and tried to make Emily's last few days of summer memorable.

Having played everything from Scrabble to Uno with Paige over the first few months of their relationship, Emily was aware how competitive and cocky her girlfriend could be. She played along with her friends, acting as though it annoyed her, the way Paige just seemed to be good at everything she did, but for the most part it just turned her on, and she kept the urge to sweep the board aside, throw Paige down on the coffee table and have her pants off before the little metal top hat hit the floor, bottled tightly inside her own mind. At least until their friends left for the night.

"Fine, here," Hanna groaned and handed over the deed Paige had asked for, which she happily tucked into her pile of acquisitions with an accomplished grin plastered onto her face.

"Pleasure doing business," she winked, "I'm going to get another slice, anyone want?"

"I'll take one," Angie replied.

"Me too,"

"Just bring the box in, baby," Emily told her, and took the dice in her hand, shaking them up a bit in preparation for her turn.

"You got it," Paige replied and scampered off to the kitchen.

"She seems to be doing pretty well with everything," Hanna spoke softly, eyes on Emily, "I thought you two would be hot messes today,"

"This is her being a hot mess," Emily sighed, "she's distracting herself. Being goofy and keeping herself busy,"

"And what about you?" Angie asked, and took a pull of her beer that had been resting on the table next to her pile of money.

"I don't really know..." she blew out a shaky breath, and ran a hand through her hair, "stuck between trying to get my head on straight for school and trying to decide if what I'm getting in North Carolina is worth watching her walk away from me in two days,"

"Em, she's not walking away for good. And you've got shit to get done down there. Paige understands that. You worked your ass off in high school to get in there, nobody expects you to give that up. Least of all Paige. Go do what you do. We got her," Hanna told her.

"For sure Em," Angie added, "you got nothing to worry about. I've been taking care of that girl since the day we met. I'll keep her ass on track. You just keep yours on track. I'm talking straight god damn A's and making it rain on that basketball court, girl,"

"Taking care of her since the day you met huh?" Emily chuckled.

"Girl has four big bros, and that's great and all, but she needed a big sis to have her back. Someone to talk to about her girl troubles and field her drunk texts. And, you know...maybe I kinda needed the same thing from her," Angie explained with a shrug.

"Yeah you and Paige definitely needed each other," Hanna added in knowingly, taking a sip of her own drink, "you both were train wrecks when Paige started at Dontana's,"

"Uh, false. Paige was a train wreck then," Angie held a finger up to prove her point, waving it around dramatically, "I was in a loving, supposedly committed relationship with a guy who turned out to be a total dirt bag. But there wasn't one minute of that relationship that I didn't have my shit together,"

"I've told you once, and I'll tell you again, Aaron was a jerk to you from day one and you always deserved better and you knew it, even if you didn't want to admit it," Hanna argued.

"Fine, he was a total tool but that's not my point,"

"Paige hated him the first time she met him. She took care of you just as much as you took care of her. She made you feel like it was gonna be okay when you and Aaron broke up, and you kept her sane when she realized all the stuff Chrissy promised her at Dontana's was never gonna happen. You were two equal hot mess peas in a train wreck pod," Hanna rambled.

"Alright, alright, I was a walking disaster. My point is, Em, Paige has us. She's gonna be fine, we'll get her through. You just do you, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Emily laughed, and then sighed, "only three months until winter break,"

"Now, now, none of that shit," Angie shook her head, "you may be down south where the peaches grow but I ain't about to start wishing for snowflakes and candy canes when we got a month of summer left here in Philly. Not uh,"

"Sorry," Emily held her hands up with a laugh, "but what's not to love about Christmas time?"

"Oh, I don't know, snow..." Angie began keeping track on her fingers, "traffic, bratty kids, traffic, wrapping gifts, traffic..."

"You don't get it, Em is like the Christmas queen," Hanna explained, "she'll be texting you Christmas carols the day after Halloween,"

"Oh Em, you're one of those?" Angie whined and took a sip of her beer.

"Guilty," she shrugged, "you may as well just tell me what your favorite color is now so I can start working on your gift,"

"Oh yeah, and she makes our gifts by hand," Hanna added, "come on Em, roll the dice and help me make back some money before McCullers Inc. gets back in here,"

"Fine, but don't talk too much shit, there Han," Emily rolled the dice, "I am sleeping with their CEO after all,"

* * *

"Hey, don't hog all the green ones," Paige whined, watching Emily pick through the bowl of M&M's in her lap that they were sharing.

"What's the difference, they all taste the same," Emily deadpanned, not taking her eyes off the movie.

Once the rain had cleared, and Paige had been declared the undisputed Monopoly champion, Hanna and Angie had headed home, leaving Paige and Emily to their own devices. They'd cleaned up from their visit, and after Paige expressed a sweet tooth attack the likes of which only chocolate would satisfy, Emily had taken a walk down to the corner store and come back with the biggest back of M&M's they had. They dumped them into a bowl and settled into Paige's bed, bickering for a bit over the selection of movies on Netflix before settling on _Field of Dreams,_ one of Paige's all-time favorites.

"Everyone knows you eat the red ones first. The green ones taste better. In theory, yes, they're the same, but somehow green are the best ones,"

"I promise you I'm not picking out the green ones. I'm just taking them at random," Emily deadpanned.

"Then how come you can't look me in the eye and say that?" Paige teased.

"Cause I'm trying to watch this cinematic masterpiece you couldn't believe I've never seen before," she answered.

"It is a cinematic masterpiece," Paige argued, "definitely better than the House Bunny,"

"That movie happens to be hilarious, and its Hanna's favorite too so you better watch it. Besides, how am I supposed to know how good this movie is if you're too worried about your green M&M's to let me watch it?" Emily teased back, and looked away long enough to press a kiss to Paige's cheek.

"Fine," she whispered back, though she was smiling, and turned her attention back to the movie. They watched in silence for a few moments, and after Emily decided she needed a break from the candy, she curled into Paige's side and rested her head on her shoulder. Paige smiled at this, steadying the bowl in her lap with her right hand as she wrapped her left arm around Emily and pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"I love you," Emily whispered, keeping her focus on the movie.

"I love you too," Paige smiled.

"Let's promise not to talk about me leaving tomorrow okay? It's our last day and I just want to enjoy every second of it with you. Can we do that?"

"Yeah," Paige agreed, "we can do that. I'll make sure tomorrow will be the best last day of summer break anybody ever had,"

"It'll be great. Let's go out for breakfast. Like our first date, at Becky's diner," Emily suggested.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Paige smiled, "you and blueberry pancakes stacked to the ceiling, what else could a girl ask for?"

"You and your blueberry pancakes," Emily chuckled, "that actually does sound good, though. Maybe I'll get some too,"

"You may as well get a taste for them. They're a McCullers family delicacy. Something about the way my mom makes them. It's the best part of going home,"

"I guess I'll just have to settle for Becky's for now then huh? Since we won't be having breakfast for dinner tomorrow night?" she laughed.

"For now," Paige agreed, "but when you come home for the holidays she'll make them. Every Christmas morning before we open gifts. Dad gets the turkey in the oven at like 4 AM and the smell of it makes everyone starving as soon as they step foot in the house, so ma makes pancakes to hold us over until dinner,"

"Mmm...I think I'm gonna like Christmas at the McCullers'," Emily crooned.

"I think you are too," Paige agreed, and dug back into the candy dish with her free hand.

"Hey, keep your paws of the yellow ones," Emily swatted at her, "you know they're my favorite,"

"Very funny..."

* * *

"Mom and dad are making out in the computer room," Owen announced as he hobbled into the kitchen where Paige was working away at dinner.

It was the night of Val's big birthday dinner and all Paige's brothers were in town, with their wives and kids in tow. Paige was busy as could be in the kitchen, whipping up all her mother's favorites, including crab cakes, stuffed mushrooms, grilled vegetables and a potato au gratin fit for a king sizzling away in the oven. Two fresh key lime pies sat in the fridge in lieu of birthday cake, at Val's request.

Her nieces and nephews, in their adorable dresses and mini dress shirts and ties, played in the backyard under her brother Ryan's watchful eye. Emily had long since been whisked off by Brittany to sit and chat with she and the rest of her brothers' wives, and every time Paige heard the gaggle of them laughing from the next room she couldn't help but smile at what a part of the family Emily seemed to be already. Still, the joy she felt being around her family and hearing Emily enjoying herself as well, wasn't helping the churning in her stomach she was feeling as she thought about the next day. Her Jeep was already packed with Emily's things. After dinner they'd spend one last night together, and in the morning they'd be meeting Pam and Hanna for a quick breakfast, before hitting the highway to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. They'd spend the day unpacking, taking a tour of Emily's school, maybe buy a few t-shirts from the school store and treat Emily to dinner before heading back to Philly without her.

Paige sighed at the news her brother had felt the need to share with her, and continued forming her crab cakes.

"Please, add that to the list of things never to say to me again," she chuckled.

"Hey, if I had to see it, you have to know about it. Besides, it is her birthday, what did you expect?" he hobbled over to her, laying his crutches against the island and taking a seat on one of the barstools.

"I spend as much time as possible trying not to expect anything at all about what they do when we aren't here," she replied.

"Apparently it doesn't matter if we're here or not..." he teased.

"Alright!" Paige barked a laugh, "I'll take literally any other topic for 200, Alex,"

"How about reasons you've hardly spoken a word since you got here? What is Emily's leaving tomorrow?"

"Correct, Alex," she rolled her eyes, "look we don't have to do a whole thing, Owen. I'll be fine. It's just all that I can think about today,"

"I'm just making sure you're okay, Paigey. If you tell me you are, then I'll believe you," he replied.

"Really? No lecture, no telling me we'll find our way if it's meant to be, no telling me I can come over for pizza and movies when I'm lonely?" she asked through a smirk.

"What do I look like, mom?" he scoffed, "you and I don't work that way. You know you always have a seat at our table, Brit and I don't have to tell you that. But you're tough, Paige. If you tell me you're okay I believe you. But you found a good thing in Emily, and I really believe that she'll make you happy for the rest of your life if you let her, so if you mess it up I'll power-bomb you,"

"Power bomb me with one leg?" she laughed, "I'd like to see that one,"

"Joke's on you, Brit could power bomb both of us. And you know damn well she loves Emily already so she'll whoop your ass if you mess it up," he warned.

"I don't plan on messing anything up. It's gonna suck leaving her there tomorrow but we both have things to do to set our life in motion. I'm not giving up on her and she's not giving up on me. This is just the beginning for us," she explained.

"Something smells pretty good in here," Val announced as she sauntered into the kitchen, kissing Owen on the cheek before following suit with Paige, "thank you for cooking everything baby,"

"Of course, mom. Everything should be ready in about a half an hour. The crab cakes won't take long and the potatoes are almost done,"

"Sounds great. Emily and the girls sure are having a nice time. I'm glad you brought her along. It was nice of her to spend her last night home with us," Val told her.

"She really wanted to come. She spent the day shopping with her mom yesterday and we had dinner and game night with our friends last night. She really wanted to come see everyone before she heads back to school,"

"We'll go visit her once she's settled in," Owen smiled, "I definitely wanna go catch a football game or something. We can make a day of it. Take her out for lunch, go to the game, whatever,"

"I think she'd like that. But I should probably go by myself the first few times, just so she's not overwhelmed you know?" Paige asked.

"Yeah, sure, that's why," Owen teased, and Val shot a look over to her son at the implication, one that had him holding his hands up in surrender through the grin still on his face.

"Don't you be down there every weekend, Paige. Let that girl study and do what she needs to do. You have plenty up here to keep you busy," her mother warned.

"Ma, don't worry so much. I'm not even planning a visit for another month or so. She's got classes and two basketball practices a day, she needs time to settle back into that," Paige told her.

"And you need time to work with Courtney on things for the restaurant. You both need to be focused,"

"Ma, how about a glass of wine?" Paige laughed, and gestured over to the counter that was holding all the liquor, including an expensive bottle of wine Courtney had sent as a gift for Paige's mother.

"Don't mind if I do," Val smiled, and kissed her daughter's head before heading off to pour a drink.

Paige sighed as she finished forming her last crab cake, and set it in the pan, pinning her brother with a look as she set upon washing her hands.

"Are you just gonna sit there, bro, or you wanna help me with the salad?"

* * *

"Oh my goodness, I can totally feel them kicking!" Emily cried excitedly. She had both hands planted firmly on the very pregnant belly of Paige's sister in law Tara, who was pregnant with twins and ready to pop any day.

"See? I told you, just like their daddy, full of energy," she told Emily, and took a sip of the water she had been sipping while everyone else enjoyed their cocktails, "it's a little early in the night for it. Usually they wait until around midnight to start playing soccer in there,"

"Aww," Emily smiled sympathetically, "you must be exhausted,"

"I am, but it's all worth it you know? When we had our first, I didn't think we'd try for anymore. She was just so perfect and Jordy just because enamored with her. And we weren't really trying, but you know? Last thing I expected was two for one, but we really are happy. I can't wait to meet them," she smiled, and began rubbing at her belly when Emily pulled her hands away.

"I bet, it'll be fun to see how alike they are," Emily replied.

"They'll be like their father, no doubt," she rolled her eyes, though she was smiling, "all those kids out there are their fathers. These McCullers genes run deep,"

"Noted," Emily laughed.

"Yeah I'm not even pregnant yet and I know I'm going to end up with Owen 2.0," Brittany chuckled.

"Lacey couldn't be more like Nathan even if she had been born a boy," Heather added in, "and Logan looks just like the pictures Val has of him from when he was his age. Literally looks like the same child,"

"Yeah Jared is Ryan's spitting image for sure," Jen laughed.

"Well Paige looks just like Val, so maybe she'll break the pattern," Emily shrugged with a smile.

"Yeah but she acts just like Nick," Heather pointed out, and the other girls nodded.

"I don't know though," Brittany sipped at her wine, "she's got a little bit of that Val sas in her. Maybe she will be the one to break the pattern of little Nicks in this family," she laughed.

"Let's not scare the girl," Tara smiled, and patted Emily on the knee, "you've got plenty on your plate before babies are in the picture. I hear you're quite the basketball star at school?"

"Um, I don't know about star," Emily smiled, "but I got to start like four games as a freshman, so that's something,"

"That's pretty impressive. I played point guard for Columbia. Went to the championships a few years but I tore my ACL goofing off with Jordy one night after a party. Didn't heal in time for my senior season,"

"Ouch. How'd you manage that?" Emily winced.

"We decided to have a picnic up at the top of a quarry, and jump in to go swimming afterward. He jumped in first and tried to catch me but I got scared at the last minute and fell really awkwardly. Smashed my knee against a jagged rock. It was a mess, I was in the hospital for a week. Three surgeries," she explained.

"Wow, that's so scary," Emily gasped, "I'm sorry that happened to you,"

"It was a hundred years ago," she shrugged, "just take care of yourself so we can come see you play in a big championship game,"

"I'll do my best," Emily laughed, and took a sip of her drink.

"Hey guys?" Paige poked her head in from the kitchen, "dinner's just about ready if everyone wants to round up the kids and wash up,"

"You got it chef," Tara called back to her, "hey Em, you wanna give me a hand up outta this chair? Otherwise you guys will have to bring me a TV tray," she laughed.

"Sure," Emily stood and took her hand, wrapping her free arm around her back and lifting with her legs to help the girl stand.

"Ouch...ow, ow," she whimpered and Emily immediately froze, terrified she had somehow hurt her girlfriend's overly pregnant sister in law.

"Oh my God, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...what did I do? Are you okay?" Emily panicked, looking around at the rest of the girls who also stood in concern.

"It's okay, Emily, really, it's..." she breathed, and placed her hands on Emily's shoulders to steady herself, "I think my water just broke..."


	28. Chapter 28

Hey guys. This, more so than maybe any other chapter, is for the Paily fans. Because no matter what anyone says, Paige, Lindsey and the Paily fandom got jipped, hardcore. Paige got through to me in my darkest hour in a way nobody in my day to day world really could. And it's only now years later seeing some light at the end of that tunnel that I really realize how important that is. Not only to have someone in this world to relate to but to know that things do get better. Maybe it wasn't the most popular opinion to have as a PLL fan, but I was Paily all the way, and I believe wholeheartedly that Paily matters. So because, as Paily fans, we didn't get a sweet moment to hang on to as the show ended, or even a mention in the wrap party, this is for us. Because Paily matters. Love matters. I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Emily couldn't help but smile at the scene in front of her. It was the second time this summer she'd been cooped up in a hospital waiting room with the McCullers family, but this time definitely felt different. Just a few months before, when Owen had his accident, the waiting felt heavier, scary because none of them knew what they'd find on the other side of it. It had been exhausting and Emily remembered feeling the need to smooth the worry lines from Paige's forehead and cradle her until they knew for sure things would be alright. The hugs that night were shaky and tense, but these ones seemed to almost make them all smile even harder. Like the ones Emily knew from her father coming home.

This time, though, as she watched Paige, sprawled on the carpeted floor on her belly, coloring with her nephews, was different. As Emily's eyes scanned the room, from Paige on the floor to Nick in the far corner, reading the sports page of the newspaper, to little Lacey in the chair next to her beloved pop-pop, playing away on Paige's cell phone, to Owen on the other side, watching something on his tablet, Brittany snoozing away soundly on his shoulder, she knew what a special moment she was lucky enough to be witnessing. Soon there would be two brand new babies, two brand new members of their family, and she could tell just by watching them just elated they all were. She grinned ear to ear imagining how Paige must've been the first time around as compared to now. She pictured her girlfriend pacing back and forth across the room, bouncing on her toes and checking the clock every five minutes as she waited for the news that her first niece had finally arrived.

"She's about six centimeters," Val spoke as she came back out of the delivery room, "so it won't be too awful long now,"

Emily expected her to take a seat next to her husband, or to scoop up one of her grandchildren and rock them for a while, but she didn't. She slid right into the seat beside Emily and placed a hand on her knee, and smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're here, honey," was all she said, and Emily returned the smile.

"I'm glad too," she replied.

"You've got a long day tomorrow," Val reminded her, "are you sure you don't want me to ask a nurse if there's somewhere you can take a nap for a while?"

"I'm okay, but thanks," Emily shook her head, "Paige got us a room at the hotel across the street. Once the babies come and they kick us out we'll just head over there and leave from there in the morning,"

"Make sure you eat a good breakfast. If they don't have anything decent at the hotel make sure Paige gets up on time so you can stop at a diner or something," she instructed, "being in the car that long on an empty stomach is bad news,"

"I think I'm more of the hassle to get out of bed than Paige, by a long shot," Emily laughed, "usually she's got a full breakfast on the table and I'm still snoozing away,"

"As the woman who had to get her up for school for thirteen years, I'm going to have to take you at your word, because that child was anything but easy in the mornings," Val laughed, shaking her head.

"Really? That surprises me. Maybe I'm just so not a morning person, it makes her look like she is,"

"Maybe. With her brothers, it got worse as they got older. When they were young, like five and six, they were up at the crack of dawn. But as they got to high school, I had to get up an hour early just to run around the house pounding on doors. And of course, by the time I'd get to Owen's room at the end of the hall, all of them would've ignored me and fallen back to sleep and I'd start all over," she recalled with another laugh, "Paigey got better as she got older, unlike the boys. But she was still hard to get moving in the morning,"

"I can totally picture that," Emily chuckled.

"They get it from their father," Val shrugged, "every last one of them,"

"That seems to be the way,"

"So tell me about school, honey," Val patted her on the knee again, "what classes are you taking this year? Did you make your mind up about your major?"

"I told my advisor I want to switch to education. She's working on it for me and I have to meet with her tomorrow when I get back to campus to hammer everything out. But from what I understand I'm going to be doubled up on some things this first semester to catch up to the other education majors, so I can do my student teaching on time," she explained.

"I think that's great, honey. Teaching is a good thing, don't let anybody tell you different. A good teacher can really make a difference in a kid's life,"

"Yeah. I mean, Owen likes it right? He enjoys teaching?" Emily asked.

"Well I can't speak for him, but he seems to," Val shrugged, "Owen's always been good with people. Funny, well spoken, smart. My other boys are too, but in a different way. Jordan and Nathan, they work in marketing. So they could sell ice to an eskimo. But the way Owen talks to people, it blows me away. He's so compassionate and understanding and charming, so down to earth. And a lot of those things are in you, too, I could tell the first time I met you. So I think you'd be a great teacher,"

"Wow...thank you," Emily smiled, at the moment unable to remember the last time she had gotten such a wonderful compliment. She let it soak in for a moment, before clearing her throat, "I don't think I could teach high school kids, like Owen does though. I think I'd be better with the younger kids,"

"Teenagers are not easy, that's for sure," Val nodded, "you'll know what's right when the time comes. Be sure to keep an open mind. That's an important part of a college education,"

"I'll do that," Emily replied, "thanks,"

"Don't mention it, honey. What do you say we go find the cafeteria and grab a cup of coffee? It's way past my bedtime,"

"Oh I shouldn't...if I have coffee now I really won't want to get out of bed in the morning, even more than I already don't," Emily answered.

"You should be excited," Val pointed out, "back to your friends, and your sports and all that,"

"I am, I guess," Emily sighed, and Val followed her eyeline to where she stared dreamily at Paige, "just sad about what I'm leaving behind,"

Val exhaled a deep breath as she witnessed this, the way Emily looked on at her only daughter a true mix bag of emotions for a mother. Still the feeling of unrest that came with the fact that her youngest seemed to be fitting all the pieces of adulthood together without her was outweighed by the fact that Emily was the person by her side through it all. She found herself thinking back to the moment Paige took her first steps, giggling excitedly as she wobbled her way across the living room floor toward her wide open arms. She recalled Paige's first day of Kindergarten, and how she tore a hole in the shirt Val had worn to drop her off because she was so insistent on wanting her to stay. She thought of teaching Paige to drive, and the night she graduated high school and headed off to culinary school shortly after. The dull ache in her heart that these moments brought, the dull ache that reminded her that her baby really was all grown up, was eased by moments like the one she was witnessing now. A part of her would always feel the need to nurture her children like when they were young, for that was just a mother's instinct. But the way Emily looked at her daughter now, gave her an overwhelming feeling of calm and trust. She could picture their future, just as clear as she could picture the past memories of her daughter's youth. She imagined the excitement of Emily's college graduation, Paige anxious to find a gift that would make the occasion even more special. She pictured the two of them looking for a place to move in together, scraping by like Nick and herself had done in the early days, eating grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner and cutting coupons until they figured everything out. She saw Paige nervously pacing on her wedding day, not scared in the least about her commitment, but rather that she'd stumble during her vows or spill wine on herself at the reception and ruin the pictures they had paid a fortune for. She pictured Nick being stoic right up until the moment it was time to walk Paige down the aisle, where he would sob uncontrollably like she herself had done with each of her four sons at their weddings, only to break down again when it was time for the father daughter dance. She imagined them taking a trip to New Jersey to visit, sitting together to enjoy a meal before they would drop the news that a baby was on the way. Even in Val's own imagination, Emily seemed to fit perfectly in every scenario.

"As thrilled as I am that Paige found someone who loves her enough to be so worried about being away from her, just be patient. It won't do either of you any good to be stressed about it," she advised, "I know, I know I'm a hypocrite. I met the love of my life in a bar and never looked back, have barely spent a day away from him since we met," she laughed.

"I wasn't gonna say that you're a hypocrite," Emily shook her head, "if Paige and I end up half as happy as you and Mr. McCullers, we'll be so blessed. You guys fell in love and created this perfect, amazing family. Whether I become a teacher or a banker or a nurse, that's what I want at the end of it. And the fact that the day I left school for the summer, all I wanted was a nap and a fruity drink on the beach...that tells me how important Paige is in my life. We were destined to meet this summer, I just know it...and I'm not going to give that up for anything,"

"Glad to hear it, honey," Val patted her on the knee once more, "come on. You may not be up for coffee, but this old lady needs some. We'll get you a smoothie or something. And since I didn't get to eat my tradiational birthday crab cakes, I certainly won't turn down a slice of pizza or something either,"

* * *

Paige was half asleep, her head resting on Emily's shoulder, by the time her oldest brother came out of the delivery room, followed closely by Val, each of them cradling a baby in their arms. She could see the sleeves of his button down dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, even under the yellow gown he wore over top of it, could see the green tie he wore loosened around his neck. The baby in his arms was wrapped up in a blue blanket and hat, the one in Val's, pink. Almost instantly, Paige felt a rush of energy wash over her, and jumped to her feet.

"Oh my God, Jordy…" she whispered as she approached them, "is this them?" she cooed.

"No," he rolled his eyes, "these are loaners until ours really come,"

"Jordan David," Val warned, "I know you're the one that just had two brand new babies, but you two are mine, so behave yourselves,"

"I was just kidding ma," he replied, "Tara's asleep already, so I figured if you and Emily wanted to see the babies first, since you've got an early start?"

"Oh hell yeah!" Paige whisper shouted and reached for the baby in her brother's arms, "Em, come over here,"

Emily stood from the chair and made her way over, Val not hesitating for a second before she gently handed her brand new granddaughter over. Emily took her slowly, gently, cradling her into her chest and watching as Paige did the same with her nephew.

"This," Jordan placed his hand softly atop of the blue hat atop the baby's head, "is Connor Nicholas," and then he stepped to Emily, touching the baby in her arms with a smile, "and this...is Haley Grace,"

"Those are such beautiful names," Emily smiled, "she has your nose, I can already tell,"

"So does this little guy," Paige chuckled.

"You all were born with that nose," Val pointed out, "more babies coming out looking just like your father, who would've guessed?"

"Is Tara okay?" Paige asked, "did it go smoothly and everything?"

"She's exhausted," Jordan sighed, "and hungry, but more exhausted at the moment. They're both healthy, and she's doing good. The doctor asked if she wanted her tubes tied and she said she wanted time to think about it, so I'm a little nervous, but she's doing fine," he laughed.

"Another kid or two won't hurt you, you make good money," Paige pointed out.

"I think these two will keep me busy quite a while," he smiled, "you guys can bring them back in if you want. That way if Tara wakes up she won't freak out. I'm going to go get something to eat before she's awake,"

"Okay, yeah," Paige nodded, "hey. Congrats big bro,"

"Thanks, Aunt Paige," he winked, and kissed his sister on the forehead, heading off for the cafeteria.

Paige and Emily made their way back into the delivery room, where Tara was snoozing softly, and a nurse was working on clearing out some of the equipment that was no longer needed now that the babies had arrived. There were two cradles set up by the bed, one with a pink blanket and one blue, and packages of diapers and formula stacked by the door, supplies Emily guessed were given to them from the hospital staff. Paige took a seat in the chair by Tara's bed, signaling for Emily to have a seat in the larger, definitely cozier looking rocking chair on the other side of the room.

"It's pretty amazing," Paige spoke softly, addressing Emily though her gaze remained dreamily on her brand new nephew, "every time it gets me all choked up,"

"It's definitely amazing," Emily agreed, "they're absolutely beautiful. I wish I could take one with me," she laughed.

"I think Tara might hunt you down if you did that," Paige laughed back.

"I know, I know," Emily waved her off. The truth was, there wasn't much about this moment that Emily didn't find overwhelmingly beautiful. Everything, from the way the baby in her arms wiggled and whimpered at every sound, to the smile plastered to Paige's face, had Emily choked up as well. She wanted to capture this moment, like a snapshot in her mind, and never ever stop looking at it. In this moment, more so than any she could remember, Paige took her breath away.

"Are you okay?" Paige asked after a while of silence and Emily simply smiled back at her.

"I'm perfect," was all she said.

"Yeah," she smiled, "it's just...it's a good look on you, that's all. You, holding a newborn baby, happy as a clam. It's...it's nice," she shrugged.

"Well that's good to know," Paige grinned back at her, "since I'm hoping we end up with about five or six of these when the time comes,"

"Yeah?" Emily squeaked back, "you think about that kind of stuff?"

"You know I do,"

"I just mean...I know _you_ want kids. But you said _we_. So that means you imagine me being the one you have these kids with? You picture us making it?" Emily wondered.

"You know I do," she repeated, "is that okay?"

"Of course...it's more than okay. It's...it's nice," Emily smiled, "I picture us making it too,"

"Well that's good," Paige grinned back, "I guess we should let someone else have a turn, huh? And it's getting late. Getting up tomorrow is not gonna be easy,"

"Oh, yeah, that reminds me. Your mom said to make sure you get your butt up on time so you can take me to breakfast," Emily laughed.

"Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure you're the one who slept until almost noon today," Paige scoffed.

"I tried to tell her," Emily shrugged, "but she said she has 18 years of experience from your childhood on her side that would prove me wrong,"

"We'll see who's up and who's not," Paige shook her head, "if you get up before me, I'll treat you, Hanna and your mom all to the breakfast feast at Becky's,"

"Careful what you wish for," Emily pinned her with a look, "my mom may not have much of an appetite but if you're wagering pancakes with me and Hanna, that's a bet you're going to lose,"

"Bring it on. The McCullers do two things. We make beautiful babies," she gestured to the twins respectively, "and we eat. A lot. Like, almost at a competitive eating champion level,"

"Ya'll are competitive about everything," Emily rolled her eyes.

"Ya know, I reckon we are," Paige teased, Emily shooting her a displeased glance, though she was grinning, "come on. Let's hand these babies off to the warden and go get some sleep.


	29. Chapter 29

"I'm not sure what else to do," Paige gasped, cradling her brand new nephew in one arm, trying to soothe him through the meltdown both twins were going through at the moment,her free hand running through her hair in frustration, "the other kids have never cried this much. I pick them up, I rub their belly and they fall right to sleep. Why don't they want to sleep?"

After a few weeks, Paige's brother Jordan and his wife were in need of a little break, which Val was happy to provide and agreed to take the babies for an entire weekend so that they could get some sleep. Paige, missing Emily and still a few weeks away from the opening of the restaurant, had decided to spend the time with her parents as well, after being lured by Val of course, with promises of home cooked meals and cuddle time with her new niece and nephew. She and Val had just fed the twins their lunch time bottle, and Paige had taken on the task of getting them down for their nap while Val went to tend to the laundry. She was sure she could handle it, both of them seemingly happy after their meal, but they had both gone ballistic as soon as Val left the room, and Paige was at a loss.

Nick, ever the seasoned veteran when it came to crying babies, paid little mind to his daughter's acute panic attack, gliding right over to the crib and lifting his sobbing grand daughter into his arms, pulling her close to rest against his chest.

"All babies are different, Paige," he told her softly, as he began to sway Haley back and forth softly, "Ryan slept right through the night from the time he was born. Owen screamed his head off all night every night until we finally put the crib right next to your ma's side of the bed," he explained.

"What about me?" Paige wondered, and mimicked her father's actions, pulling Connor closer to rest against her chest, swaying him back and forth.

"Ah. Only one thing ever worked for you," Nick grinned, and kissed the top of the baby's head, " _tonight's the night we'll make history...honey you and I...cause I'll take any risk, to tie back the hands of time...and stay with you here tonight…"_ he sang, and Paige held back a laugh.

"Styx?" she cocked her head at him, "I only slept if you sang me Styx?"

"Or Huey Lewis and the News," he chuckled, "but Styx was your favorite. You get that from your ma. I'm pretty sure she only married me cause Tommy Shaw was taken,"

"Mom liked Steve Perry," Paige rolled her eyes, "everytime Journey comes on the radio she melts like she's fifteen years old,"

"It was the eighties, Paige. She loved any guy with long, wispy hair and a guitar. We saw Bruce Springsteen in line at Geno's one time and I thought she was gonna divorce me on the spot,"

"Mom would never," Paige laughed.

"Mom would never what?" Val questioned as she walked into the room, no doubt coming to see what was going on with the crying babies, immediately shuffling over to Paige and pressing a kiss to her fussing grandson's head.

"Leave dad for Bruce, or Tommy Shaw,"

"Oh. Hmm…" she joked, and shot her husband a look over Paige's shoulder.

"Very funny, dear," he feigned hurt, and turned his back to them dramatically, "what did I tell ya Paige? She only married me cause Tommy was taken,"

Val laughed at this, and moved over to her husband, placine her hands on his shoulders.

"Not true. I married you because Eddie Van Halen was taken," she joked, "I stayed with you because you made beautiful babies. And really good lasagna,"

"Ha, ha," he played along.

"Oh come on, honey," she chuckled, "it was the eighties. Every girl in south Philly dreamed of getting up on stage and dancing with Bruce. But the only thing bigger than my hair back then was your south Philly swagger. I wouldn't have been able to give that up for any Jersey boy,"

"Really mom?" Paige laughed, "swagger?"

"Oh, what, I'm old so I can't say things like swagger? Well too bad, baby girl, because that was a thing long before your time," Val replied.

"It's just called swag now, mom," she continued to laugh, "but good to know,"

"Paige doesn't believe that the only way she'd stop screaming as a baby would be for me to sing her Styx. Or to put it on the record player," Nick pointed out.

Val smiled at the memory, and scooped Haley, who was finally settling down a bit, out of Nick's arms and into her own, continuing to rock her. She looked down at her brand new granddaughter, who was already a spitting image of her eldest son, and allowed herself a moment to remember these days in Paige's young life. She remembered the day Paige was born, the scorching hot July day she spent watching the boys chase each other around with water guns as she struggled to waddle around after them with her big pregnant belly. She remembered how she had gone into labor right as Nick had arrived home with supplies for a cookout, and getting her sister to babysit all the boys as Nick rushed her to the hospital. She remembered the painful hours of contractions, munching on ice chips and watching as Nick tried to find a game on the small hospital TV, both of them assuming they'd soon be welcoming yet another baby boy into their family. She remembered the happy sob that had escaped her lips when they announced she had given birth to a beautiful baby girl, and remembered the proud tears that gathered in Nick's eyes as they wrapped her up in pink and handed her to him. She remembered holding her as a newborn, cradling her as though she was trying to keep all the scary things in the world far away from the daughter she had waited so long for, singing her to sleep when they had finally learned nothing else would work. She remembered the nights she'd come home from doing the books at the pub, physically and mentally drained, and find Nick sprawled on the couch watching sports, Paige snoozing away on his chest. She remembered the way her sons all wanted to hold the new baby, and how the first couple times she had let them scared her more than they probably should have. As she looked at her daughter now, grown and mature and really starting a new chapter of it life, it felt like light years ago. But as she rocked Haley, and watched as she settled into sleep, she felt as though it was just yesterday she was sharing these moments with Paige.

"It's true, my love. But Owen liked when I'd put on Janet Jackson, if it makes you feel any better. I'd put him in his little walker in the living room while I cleaned up, and when I'd turn around he'd be busting a move," she laughed, "your dad probably caught it on the camcorder at some point. It was so cute,"

"Oh you definitely have to show me this video," Paige barked a laugh, "hey, look, Connor's finally getting sleepy," she whispered, "he doesn't hate me,"

"Of course he doesn't hate you," Val rolled her eyes, "you're his Aunt Paige. You're gonna be his best bud in a few years, just like all the other kids. You're who he's gonna run to when he doesn't know how to talk to the girl he likes. Or the one he runs to when he wants to get some ridiculous piercing behind Tara's back, like you did with your Aunt Linda," she pegged Paige with a look.

"Okay, well, in my defense she wasn't supposed to tell you," Paige shrugged, "it was just a little belly button ring, you wouldn't have even seen it,"

"Your dad had smoke coming out of his ears when he found out about it," Val told her, "you never had a chance in hell at that one, princess,"

"My thirteen year old daughter didn't need a belly button ring," Nick argued, "I may as well have just let you have boys sleepover in your room and bought you cigarettes,"

"Dad, I never smoked one cigarette in my life. And I had a grand total of 3 boyfriends," Paige laughed.

"And I hated all three of them," he shrugged, "and don't think you were off the hook once you started dating girls. Emily's the first one I like,"

"Take it easy on him, would you Paige? I need to keep his blood pressure down and since the day you were born, talking about you and boys was the way to accomplish exactly the opposite," Val laughed.

"Fine, fine. Phillies, Blue Jays in half an hour dad. What do you say? We probably got 3 or 4 innings until the twins wake up," she laughed.

"Nah, Styx will have them down at least until the seventh inning stretch," he replied, "I'll make us some sandwiches. You wanna watch the game, dear?" he asked Val.

"Tempting, but I think I'll hit the grocery store and let you two enjoy. Paige, I'm going to start picking up a few things for a care package for Emily. So a list of things she likes would be nice,"

"Mom you don't have to do that. I'm going down there in a few weeks for the homecoming football game. We stocked her up plenty until then," Paige shrugged.

"Paige," Val pinned her with a look, "a list. Do we want chicken pot pie or meatloaf for dinner?"

"Whichever one you're less likely to make me eat a salad with," Nick winked, and Val rolled her eyes as she helped Paige lower the babies into their crib.

"Tough news, then, my love. You're eating salad no matter what we're having for dinner,"

"Can you believe that, Paigey? She makes me eat a salad every night now,"

"Yeah, how dare she want you to be healthy and live longer," Paige laughed, "maybe you should've let her marry Tommy Shaw after all,"

"Not in a million years," he smiled, and pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek, "I'm gonna get rolling on those sandwiches. Drive safe, honey. And pick me up some razors would ya?"

* * *

"Geeze, slow down, Hulk. You're making me look bad,"

Emily panted out a laugh as she continued lifting weights, alternating her bicep curls at a blistering pace. It was going on lunchtime Sunday morning, and she had insisted on dragging her roommate, Holly, out of bed early for a workout session at the campus gym. While she wasn't usually a morning person, since returning to campus Emily had been hitting the gym twice a day, intent on getting herself in tip top shape in time for basketball tryouts in October. Not only did she have her sights set on the starting point guard spot that would be open at the end of the year, but focusing on her diet and exercise routine had been helping her keep her mind off just how much she was already missing Paige. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

"I slacked off majorly for three months," Emily huffed, "have a lot of work to do,"

"Oh please," Holly rolled her eyes, "you still look like a Sports Illustrated model. You could eat a pound of pasta a day and still be in perfect shape,"

"Not true," Emily shook her head with a chuckle, "I dated a chef all summer. A chef who really can eat whatever she wants and stay beanstalk skinny. She's never had to worry about calories a day in her life because she has the metabolism of a field mouse. So everything I ate the past three months had extra cream, extra butter, extra cheese, extra chocolate. I should be running laps in my dreams if I want to be ready to snag that starting point guard spot,"

"Something tells me you and that dreamboat got plenty of exercise this summer," Holly added, a devious smile coming across her face.

"Don't call my girlfriend a dreamboat," Emily laughed, "you're straight, and I love you, but I'll kick your ass,"

"A girl can appreciate another girl's hotness, damn," she held up her hands in protest, sitting on the bench across from Emily to do some pec flys, "she's super yummy though. Cute butt. You sure all her brothers are married?"

"Every last one of them," Emily laughed.

Holly Jenkins had quickly become Emily's best friend on campus. They were paired together as roommates their freshman year and spent most of their first year on the basketball team together sitting on the bench and washing the practice jerseys of their upperclassmen teammates. Holly was from New Hampshire, where she was a star shooting guard, and broke nearly every record her high school kept track of for girls' basketball. She was recruited by North Carolina halfway through her junior year and because of her skills on the court, wasn't paying a penny for her education. Emily envied that sort of peace of mind, knowing both her parents spent a lot of time thinking about all the cash they would be dishing out in the coming years so that she could get the education she had always dreamed of. Still, as great as Holly was on the basketball court, and smart as a whip in the classroom to boot, she was humble, kind and loyal, and that was something Emily had found refreshing in a place that was totally brand new to her at the time. Soon they were meeting for meals in the cafeteria, studying together and talking about visiting each other's hometowns. Emily, after hearing such nightmares about some of her friends' roommate situations, knew she had truly won the roommate lottery.

"How is Paige? Did the restaurant open up yet?" Holly asked.

"Not yet. They're waiting for the liquor license to come through. Which it will, but it takes a while, because of all the insurance and stuff. But she's fine, she's been spending time with her family. I miss her so much sometimes it's all I can think about. But she'll be here in a few weeks,"

"She's coming for homecoming?"

"Yeah. We're going to go to the game and then out to dinner," Emily explained.

"Not to the dance?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping you were going to the dance, so that me and Paige could...you know...hang out in the room?" Emily shot her a look.

"Say no more. Cody Jones already asked me. If things get real, we can go back to his room," Holly winked.

"Gross," Emily barked a laugh, "but thanks,"

"Stay off my bed. I mean it, no matter how caught up in the throes of passion you get, you at least hold it together until you get to your own bed," she warned.

"Deal," Emily sighed, and turned around to place her weights back on the rack, immediately stretching the soreness from her arms as she faced her friend again, "I think I'm gonna do a mile or two on the treadmill and then hit the pool. Are you with me?"

"Hmm...how about half a mile and then we hit the caf? They have breakfast for lunch today. Omelette bar...French toast sticks…"

"What a wonderful way to completely make this workout useless," Emily laughed, "two miles, no pool, Benny's for grilled chicken wraps, final offer,"

"Ugh," Holly groaned, and stood from the bench, "deal. But I'm getting tator tots,"

"You can get whatever you want," Emily laughed, "but I ate a gourmet chef's homemade French toast all summer, so I'm not about to trash my workout with frozen French toast sticks out of a box,"

"Alright, that girl needs to get her skinny ass down here and make us some grub. Tell her I said that," Holly replied.

"Will do. Come on, before all the treadmills are taken,"

* * *

Paige had long since passed out on her parents' couch watching TV, Val sitting next to her, absentmindedly running her free hand through her daughter's hair as she read her book, when Paige's cell phone vibrated from the coffee table. She looked down at Paige, the noise not having phased her at all, and chuckled to herself, placing her book face down and reaching for her daughter's phone. It was Emily, as she expected, a call Paige had been waiting for most of the evening, so she swiped across the screen to answer for her.

"Hi Emily," she greeted, "it's Val, honey,"

"Oh…" Emily's voice came through the other line, "hi. Is everything okay? Is Paige alright?"

"She's fine, sweetheart. She fell asleep on the couch. How's school going?"

"Oh, everything's fine. Just got done with my homework and was getting ready to get to bed. I'm sorry for calling so late, I figured Paige would still be up," Emily replied.

"Don't apologize, honey. She was waiting for your call, but she's like her father. Fill her belly and put that TV on and she's out like a light. I'll wake her up for you. Listen, do me a favor and text me your mailbox number there at school? I picked up a few things for you today at the market and I want to send them down. Paige gave you my number right?"

"Oh...yeah, yeah she gave it to me," Emily couldn't help but smile, "you didn't have to get me anything. Thank you,"

"I wanted to. My kids always loved a good care package when they were in college. Text me that address honey and I'll have it down there in a few days," Val smiled.

"Thank you again. How are the babies? I bet Paige is having a blast with them,"

"Oh we all are. They're amazing. You know I love me a house full of babies. Listen honey, it's getting to be my bedtime. Hang on a second and I'll wake up Paige for you. Take care, love,"

She shook Paige's shoulder gently, not being able to hold back the smile that spread across her face when Paige rolled over on her side and covered her face with the blanket Nick had covered her up with before he had headed off to bed himself.

"Emily's on the phone, baby," Val spoke softly. Paige peeled the blanket away from her face at that, looking up at her mother through squinted eyes, her hair adorably messy. Val held the phone out for Paige to take, and bent down to kiss her forehead, "I'm off to check on the twins and then to bed. Sleep tight,"

"Night mom," she cleared her throat, sitting up and wrapping the blanket tightly around herself and bringing the phone to her ear, "Em?"

"Hey sleepyhead," Emily smiled, "sorry I woke you up. I should've known watching the babies all day would wear you out,"

"Hey, I did alright for the most part," Paige argued playfully, "besides it wasn't the babies that wore me out. It was the 4 pounds of chicken pot pie mom made me eat for dinner,"

"Yum. That sounds so good,"

"It was. How was your day?" Paige asked through a yawn.

"Good. Hit the gym this morning, did some homework, watched Mean Girls with Holly. Now I'm just ready to take a shower and get some sleep. I have my 8 AM math class tomorrow," Emily explained.

"That's way too early to do any math," Paige laughed.

"Exactly," Emily sighed, "how's things there? How's Hanna and Angie? How's Courtney?"

"Courtney's good. Finishing up the morning sickness phase and starting with the weirdo cravings. The other day we were working on laminating the menus for the restaurant and she had me go pick her up a garlic bagel with cream cheese and Skittles," Paige laughed.

"Eww," Emily winced, "Skittles on the bagel?"

"Right on there," Paige replied, "it was gross but she loved it. My mom says that probably means she's having a girl. Cause when she was pregnant with the boys her cravings were all normal. Pizza, tacos, popcorn, pickles, ice cream. But when she was pregnant with me she was dipping strawberries in barbecue sauce,"

"Yikes," Emily laughed, "Courtney's gonna be really pretty pregnant. Send me pics when her belly gets all big,"

"I will," Paige smiled, "Hanna and Angie are good too. Everyone misses you,"

"I miss everyone too. Especially you," Emily sighed.

"Me too. I'll be there before you know it. Sounds like we both got plenty to keep us busy in the meantime,"

"I guess so,"

Paige was halfway through another yawn when she heard the unmistakable cries coming from the makeshift nursery upstairs.

"Sounds like you're being beckoned," Emily chuckled, hearing the cries in the background.

"Yeah," Paige laughed, "I better go get that before they wake up my dad,"

"You think you'll be able to calm them down that fast?" Emily wondered and Paige smiled.

"Yeah," she answered, "I know just the thing,"

* * *

Well, what do I even say? I'm coming in just shy of 5 months since an update, and for that I truly do apologize. These past few months have been rough and I've been doing a lot of changing in my life. I can't promise I'll update once a month, but I'm working on a lot of things, and confidence in myself and this story is one of them. Thanks to everyone who still wants to read.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The song Nick sings to the babies, and once upon a time Paige, is The Best of Times by Styx.

Happy Holidays everyone, but especially to my person, who this chapter would not have happened without.


	30. Chapter 30

Hi everyone. Just, as always, wanna say thank you for reading and for the encouragement. I hope you enjoy. Thanks as always to my person for making me believe yet again that I can do this even when I'm convinced I can't. Enjoy.

Oh, and on another note, Fly Eagles Fly!

* * *

"I thought we talked about the beard, bro," Paige laughed as she caught a glimpse of Owen as he hobbled into her soon-to-be open restaurant on his crutches. His wife trailed behind him, a carrier with four cups of coffee in one hand and a box of donuts in the other. Paige was exhausted, having already been hard at work stocking the bar since the crack of dawn. Her hands were blistered from the unpacking of hundreds of boxes, and she could feel the sweat as it peeked through the back of her worn Phillies t-shirt, which was now pretty much drenched and clinging to her aching muscles. Still, she couldn't help but smile as her brother and sister in law made their way in with breakfast.

"Yeah, yeah," Owen muttered, "I thought we talked about you bagging on my looks, miss 'looks more like mom by the second'," he joked, and pecked his sister's cheek before propping his crutches up on the bar and sliding into a stool.

"Joke all you want," Paige shrugged, "but...I've been on the cover of a magazine. And besides, you think I'm insulted? Mom's hot,"

Owen winced at this, though he was grinning.

"God, Paige, don't say shit like that," he chuckled, "I'm pretty sure that's how you turn a guy into a serial killer,"

"You're too much of a wuss to be a serial killer," Brittany added, sliding the coffee and donuts onto the bar and pulling Paige into a hug, "I swear, Paige. The other day he burnt his hand making a grilled cheese sandwich. You would've thought it needed to be amputated the way he was whining,"

"Hey, that cheese was like lava!" he argued, "it left a blister, see?"

"I deep fried my thumb once and went bowling the same night," Paige rolled her eyes, "you'll be fine,"

Owen sighed and shook his head, cracking open the box of donuts and grabbing one with strawberry frosting. He tore a giant bite off and gestured to the kitchen door behind his sister.

"Is Courtney in the back? We got her a coffee too," he asked through a mouthful.

"Oh, uh, nah, she'll be here in a little bit. She was having breakfast with Seth and then had some kind of meeting. She should be here soon. She's not really drinking coffee, though. It's bad for the baby I guess," Paige explained, and grabbed a jelly donut for herself, along with a cup of coffee.

"It's decaf," Brittany pointed out, "believe me, I've been trying to get pregnant for six months now. I've done my research,"

"Still no luck?" Paige asked.

"Nope. I don't get it. The rest of your brothers glance at their wives from across the room and they get pregnant. I'm doing everything all the pregnancy blogs say and nothing," Brittany shrugged. Paige smiled sympathetically at her sister in law and took a sip of coffee. It was no secret in their family that Brittany had full blown baby fever, and that she and Owen had been trying ever since their wedding to get pregnant. The recent birth of her twin niece and nephew had only seemed to deepen Brittany's desire to have a baby as soon as possible. Paige knew she had been doing lots of research, reading all the baby books she could, consulting everybody she knew to ask how to up her odds at getting pregnant.

"I told you babe, it'll happen," Owen told her, patting her hand, "I get my cast off next week. Then we can really pick up the pace,"

"Maybe I'll ask Courtney for some pointers," Brittany laughed, "that wouldn't be rude would it?"

"I don't think she'd care," Paige laughed, "but I don't think they were trying. Kind of just happened,"

"Of course it did," came her reply, "am I the only girl in the world who can't have a baby by accident?"

"Well...Paige kinda can't," Owen smirked, "cause she doesn't like to sleep with boys,"

"You're an ass," Paige laughed, "it'll happen, Brit. You guys are crazy in love and cute together. You're so meant to have lots of pretty babies. You'll be picking out names and silly onesies before you know it,"

"Speaking of names," Owen cut in through a mouthful, "have you named this place yet? Kinda hard for me to advertise my sister's new big restaurant when I don't know what the place is called,"

"It's a surprise, for opening night. Besides, since when are you the marketer in the family?" Paige laughed.

"I don't have to have a multi million dollar ad agency to want my sister's business to do well. I coach a baseball team, remember? All I gotta do is tell them you have the best wings in Pennsylvania and they'll be here three nights a week,"

"I am gonna have the best wings in Pennsylvania," Paige laughed, "bring them to opening night. Seriously. I don't want one empty seat here,"

"You're gonna have a full house, I'm pretty sure mom invited everyone she ever met in her in entire life," Owen told her, and Paige shook her head knowingly. Ever since Courtney's article on Paige had hit shelves, Paige had started fielding tons of phone calls and Facebook friend requests from relatives and old neighbors she hadn't heard from in ages. Even Paige's high school softball coach was personally mailed a copy of the magazine, with a lovely note from Val, and had reached out to congratulate Paige on her success. It was no surprise that in this, like so many of the other endeavors in her life, Val was already Paige's biggest fan, and was shouting from the rooftops to anyone that would listen.

"Figures," Paige barked a laugh, "don't matter. She could invite Carson Wentz, as long as every seat is full,"

"If anybody in the world would try to get Carson Wentz to her kid's restaurant opening, it's Val McCullers. I'm sure she made some calls. By the way, babe, if he is here, he's sitting with us," Owen grinned.

"Sometimes I think you love him more than you love me," his wife laughed.

"Not more than," he shrugged, "just in a different way. He's gonna bring Philly it's first super bowl victory. The least we could do is buy him a beer and a burger. Besides, I've got some ideas for him on how to deal with that Giants pass rush this season. Maybe he'll slide us some skybox passes, or sign our jerseys,"

"I think he's drunk on sugar, Brit," Paige laughed, "I love Carson Wentz as much as the next Philly girl, but I wouldn't bank on it, Owen,"

"Whatever, it'd be cool. You'll be singing a different tune when I pick him up in fantasy in a few weeks, Paige. Experts be damned, I'm taking a QB in the first round and then I'll let his five TD's a game carry me right through to the playoffs," Owen argued.

"I'm not scared, Julio Jones is already in my back pocket from last season. Besides, you only beat me by the skin of your teeth and then Nathan slaughtered you in the championship,"

"Dear God, when's Courtney getting here? I need to talk about hair or nails or wine or something," Brittany rolled her eyes with a chuckle.

"Babe I told you I'd teach you how to play fantasy with us this year if you want. Double our odds of scooping up that jackpot. $600 bucks wouldn't be the worst thing in the world when we're trying to have a baby," Owen pointed out.

"Fantasy football is a little too high maintenance for me. And that's coming from somebody who made a career out of getting girls ready for the prom," she pinned him with a look and Paige barked a laugh, grabbing another donut.

"Emily didn't want to play either. She did take my Zach Ertz jersey to school with her though. I figure she'll be a full blown football fan by the time she gets home for Thanksgiving," Paige smiled.

"See babe? I told you, nothing better than your girl rocking your jersey. Look at that grin!" Owen chuckled, pointing at his sister, who swatted his hand away as a blush crept across her cheeks.

"How is she doing?" Brittany asked, "I saw she put some pictures up on Facebook of some banquet or something but that's all I've really heard from her,"

"Yeah, they have some kind of welcome back banquet for all the student athletes. She was sending me pictures of all the food and stuff. She's doing good, just been busy you know? I guess the starting point guard on the basketball team is a senior this year, so Em is gunning for that spot. She's been training super hard. And then there's classes. But she sounds good. I'm going down for homecoming weekend to visit. And then she'll be back up here for opening night," Paige explained, unable to contain the smirk that spread across her face as she talked about Emily.

"If you don't bring me back some real Carolina barbecue this time, you're gonna feel my wrath. By then I'll be off crutches and fully able to bring the smack down again," Owen warned his sister.

"Bring it on, bro," she scoffed, "besides, you have nothing to worry about. I plan on bringing back buckets of stuff. Hanna and I stopped off at some little roadside stand on the way back home after we dropped Em off. Got these amazing pulled pork tacos on hand pressed tortillas with this honey chipotle barbecue sauce. I've been dreaming of them ever since. Courtney and I came up with our own rendition for the menu, they're gonna blow people's minds,"

"Okay, now I'm seriously starving. You're gonna have to feed us more than donuts if you want help today, Paigey. A big plate full of those tacos would be a good start," Owen laughed.

"There's no food here yet, genius. We'll probably get a couple pizzas delivered for lunch or something,"

"No pizza today," came a singsong voice from across the room.

They all turned at the voice from the doorway. Courtney looked rushed, her sunglasses pushed up atop her head and a towering stack of papers cradled in her arms, but she was smiling as she sauntered over to them. Her baby bump was becoming more prominent too, peaking slightly beneath the t-shirt Paige assumed she had changed into after her meeting.

"Brittany, how are you sweetie? It's good to see you again," she greeted Paige's sister-in-law with a kiss to her cheek and a hug.

"I'm good. Look at you," she crooned, pulling out of the hug and placing her hands on Courtney's pregnant belly, "I'm so jealous right now. How are you feeling?"

"Oh I'm doing great. The morning sickness is getting easier and now I just want to eat everything in sight. Just had the breakfast feast at Becky's, with a side of a chili cheese burger and onion rings," she explained with a laugh.

"Oh, nice. I can't wait until you get crazy cravings like that babe," Owen added.

"You'll get there, Brittany. It's been a stressful few months for you guys, with Owen's accident and all. Stuff like that can really mess with your hormones. Take some pressure off yourself and enjoy trying. It'll happen,"

"Oh she enjoys trying," Owen cut in with a wink, and Paige rolled her eyes even though Courtney was laughing.

"Know your audience, bro. So why no pizza?" Paige wondered.

"Because, you and I are going to the Philadelphia Culinary Gala tonight. All the best chefs, food writers and restaurateurs in the city will be there. And since between the two of us, we have all three of those categories covered, I figured what a better place for us to network?" Courtney explained.

"Network?"

"Yes, network. Pitch your story, your brand, make people fall in love with you. Make deals with vendors and schmooze writers into wanting to pick your brain. Maybe score you another article or maybe even a book deal one day. Really get your name cemented in the Philadelphia cuisine game," she rambled.

"Ah. You gotta wine and dine em, Paigey," Brittany nodded in understanding, "show them what makes you special,"

"I'm not sure that's my area of expertise…" Paige rubbed at the back of her neck nervously, "I'm kind of better at letting my food do the talking, don't you think?"

"Don't worry, I'll be there to get you warmed up. But you have nothing to worry about, you're very charming. Just be yourself. Everyone in this room loves you for just that reason," Courtney assured her.

"I still don't know why we can't have pizza first," Paige laughed nervously.

"You know what all the best chefs in Philadelphia being all dolled up at a fancy party at once means don't ya? That they gotta bring the best chefs in NYC in to cater the thing. Why would I let you fill up on greasy pizza when a smorgasbord like that awaits?"

"Are you more excited about trying to skyrocket my career, or about the buffet?" Paige chuckled.

"I'm excited to get you out there, you know that, kid," she told her, planting hands on her shoulders, "but you better believe I'm eating my weight in crab cakes before we leave that place,"

"So the word gala goes hand in hand with the word dress, right? I have to wear a dress?" Paige asked.

"Well it's not like you can wear an Aerosmith t-shirt and ripped up jeans," Owen teased her and she swatted back at him playfully.

"Says the guy who wore a hoodie to a job interview," she hissed back.

"Okay, I was in high school, and it was to deliver pizzas. Not exactly a suit and tie kind of scenario,"

"I might have a dress you can borrow, Paige," Brittany offered, "and I can do your hair too,"

"Uh, yes please," Paige laughed nervously.

"Why don't you two make a day of it? Take my card, go get massages, nails done, whatever you want. Seth will be here soon, him, Owen and I can work on the place. If you don't mind, Owen?" Courtney offered, rifling through her bag looking for her credit card.

"I think that sounds like a plan. You could use a relaxing day, babe," Owen smiled.

"I couldn't ask you to do all that, Courtney…"

"You're not asking, I'm offering. Go get pampered for the day. I'm telling you it'll do worlds of good. You know how chilled out and zen I was the night I got pregnant? I mean sure, birthday cake and white wine played their part. But still. You gotta decompress. And so does my girl Paige here," she handed over her card, "take it, enjoy yourselves. Be ready by seven, and text me where to pick you up,"

* * *

"Paige got invited to some fancy chef gala tonight," Emily spoke aloud as she read through her texts, on her way to get some lunch with Holly.

"Gala huh? Go Paige,"

Emily smiled as she typed in a reply, wishing Paige luck and asking to see pictures of what she assumed would be Paige looking drop dead gorgeous in formal attire. She had no plans for the night other than hitting the coffee shop on campus to check out open mic night while she attempted to study for her upcoming statistics test, and in the moment couldn't help but wish she could be there with Paige. She wasn't sure exactly what a chef's gala was, but she pictured beautiful, delicious food and dancing, Paige dressed to the nines, her beaming smile and witty sense of humor lighting up the room as she charmed the pants off every person there. In that moment, she was jealous of every person that would be at that party.

"Why does my girlfriend have to be so hot and talented and far away?" she sighed, "She's gonna be looking all sexy, eating fancy horderves and having rich drunk chefs all over her. Meanwhile I'm gonna be down here rocking a messy bun, having a grilled cheese and a hot cocoa at Charlie's, listening to some emo freshman try to sing 'Wonderwall',"

"The grilled cheese at Charlie's is top notch," Holly argued, hardly looking up from her own phone, "just chill. Paige gotta do her chef thing and you gotta do your student thing. Besides, don't make fun. You were that emo freshman last year, only you were too chicken shit to get up and sing your feelings. You just crawled into my bed after too many watermelon vodka shots and asked me if I thought Alanis Morissette had a point. Still not sure exactly what that meant, but I'm gonna go with yes,"

"I was a different girl then," Emily rolled her eyes, "I was lonely. I've found love, though. A gorgeous, soon to be famous chef with city swag and a magic tongue. Why did I come back down here again?" she groaned through a laugh.

"Because soon you're gonna be one half of the duo leading this school's basketball team to a championship. And cause you got dreams. And cause Paige wouldn't have time to be a famous chef if you were back in Philly keeping her trapped in bed all day," Holly reasoned.

"I guess you have a point," Emily conceded, "on the plus side she'll be here in two weeks. And her mom is making her bring down a bunch of homemade food. And chocolate chip cookies,"

"Dibs,"

"Yeah right. You're gonna have to fight me for them," Emily grinned.

"Oh please, you've hardly touched a carb since we've been back at school. You really gonna break your routine for a cookie?"

"For a mama McCullers scratch made chocolate chip cookie I will. I'll spend the entire night in the gym if I have to. Comfort food doesn't get any better than that," Emily argued.

"I bet I can sweet talk my way into my own plate of them. Just hit Paigey up on Facebook and leave a little thumbs up on all her pics? Talk about how the Phillies are the greatest sports team in history and how good she looks in that jersey? Think that'll do it?" she joked with a smirk.

"If you wanna die in your sleep," Emily warned.

"Oh, okay, whatever, I can't stalk Paigey's Facebook but you and Cody can play Frogger while I'm sleeping?"

"It's not my fault your boyfriend gets bored when you sleep half the day away. Besides, he said he was better at Frogger than me. Dating the most competitive girl on the planet has rubbed off on me. I couldn't just back down from that challenge," Emily shrugged.

"Whatever. I won't snake your girl, but those cookies are mine, Fields,"

"In your dreams, Jenkins. Hurry up, would ya? It's taco day and I wanna get there before all the soft shells are gone,"

Holly rolled her eyes and took a bite out of the candy bar she had been munching on since leaving class. Emily, since they had met, had affectionately nicknamed her friend the "candy queen", noticing almost right away the girl sneaking candy bars into class, munching on Skittles or lollipops between meals. Her nightstand was constantly stocked with all kinds of sugary treats. Emily found herself sneaking Reese's peanut butter cups out of the candy drawer on more than one occasion, mostly because even the sight of that bright orange wrapper reminded her of Paige.

"It's all about the crunchy shells. How are we even friends?"

Emily shook her head at this and gently elbowed her friend as they made their way into the dining hall doors, holding up their student ID's to gain access.

"Hmm, teasing me constantly, stealing my laundry detergent so you don't have to buy your own, threatening to hit on my girlfriend...beats me," Emily laughed.

"Yeah, but, I'm cute," Holly argued, "and I keep your ass on track,"

"Yeah, I guess you do," she agreed with a smile.

* * *

"I feel ridiculous. Do I look ridiculous?" Paige sighed as she stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed and ready for the gala. They had picked a simple black dress from Brittany's closet, her hair curled slightly and subtle makeup completing the ensemble. She looked fantastic, and it was obvious by the way Brittany was looking at her, but she hadn't dressed up like this in ages and couldn't help but feel self conscious.

"You look like a rockstar, Paige. I mean it. Now remember, confidence is your best accessory,"

"Oh gross," Paige laughed, "I feel like I'm in a cheerleader movie now,"

"I love those movies, brat. Now let me take a few pictures for Emily and your mom. Oh, and if Lacey knew we were here playing red carpet without her we'd both get an earful," she pointed out, pulling out her phone.

"You are having way too much fun with this," Paige groaned, "I just want to meet amazing chefs and eat amazing food and make some business contacts. If I could do it in jeans, I would,"

"What can I say?" she snapped a few shots, and gestured for Paige to try a different angle, "I'm in a great mood. I got massaged, I got to dress up my sister in law who lives in chef's coats and band t-shirts, I let myself relax for the first time since I can remember, and after I throw you in the back of a limo to go to your fancy party I'm gonna go home and make babies with your brother. A girl could do worse for a Monday,"

"Gross. Just...way too much information, Brit," Paige winced.

"Relax. You know where babies come from, you were raised in a litter," Brittany set the phone aside and moved over to Paige, fussing with her hair and outfit, "I wish you would've let the lady do your nails. You look fantastic, but it would've been a nice final touch,"

"Brittany. I'm a chef. I've never in my life painted my fingernails. I'd just have to take it off before I went to work," Paige argued.

"I paint Owen's when he's drunk sometimes," Brittany shrugged.

"I...you...that's awesome," Paige laughed, "please send me pictures of that,"

"He'd never admit it in a million years," Brittany chuckled back.

"Exactly why I need pictures,"

"We'll see. Alright, remember. Confidence. Smile, laugh at people's jokes, but not in an over the top way. No more than two glasses of champagne without a food break in between or you'll get sloppy…"

"Are you calling me a lightweight?" Paige asked.

"You are one. You're the only one I've ever seen jump up on the bar and start singing Backstreet Boys after one appletini," she reminded her.

"That was a strong ass appletini," Paige scoffed, "I paid like 14 bucks for that thing,"

"Yeah, yeah. You ready to go practice being the most famous person in our family?"

"I...yeah, I think so," Paige exhaled, "you think I'll be good right? You think people will like me?"

"They're gonna love you. Have fun, and sneak me out some crab cakes,"


End file.
